


Behind Yellow Eyes

by VoltronLegendaryDefender



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Gen, Reader-Insert, Science Fiction, Self-Insert, Voltron, reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 15:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 41,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11511912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoltronLegendaryDefender/pseuds/VoltronLegendaryDefender
Summary: [A Voltron Reader Insert]A prisoner of an intergalactic war, a teammate of unrelenting loyalty, and a friend with the biggest of hearts. Of course, there's a reason you were locked up in the first place.The eyes are the gateway to the soul. What lies behind yellow eyes?~~~I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender. It is only posted on my Quotev and here. Please let me know if the plot or even the entire story was taken. Thank you!





	1. Prologue

"Squad #5, Go!"

You raced ahead, a blaster in your hand. On your left was one of you squad members. He towered above you, gripping a heavier weapon. On your right was your other squad member. She was taller than you, but slightly shorter than the other member. She gripped a long, laser-like weapon.

"(Y/N)," Spoke your squad leader. You turned to look at him, the three of you flattening yourselves against the wall of a white, metal building. "You know what to do. Go through the vents and open the door from the inside. Meanwhile, we will hold back the guards." His voice was gruff and blunt, but you knew on the inside he deeply cared about his teammates.

"Of course, Gresal," You saluted him, about to unlatch the vents, when a hand rested on your shoulder.

"Good luck (Y/N)! Remember, this is only for training. So don't feel bad if you have to call for back up!" Your other squad member smiled, patting your shoulder.

"Thanks Nafeer," You grinned back at her before ducking into the vent you unlatched. The training excercise was supposed to be hard, fighting through several enemies to open the building's door. However, you were a runt.

Although commonly looked down upon in Galra culture your father was a high enough rank to place you in a Galran Military Camp. It was located on Loiyu, a planet where the local Loiyuns were either driven off or eradicated.

You paused above the control room, unhooking the vent panel and setting it out on the ground. You hurried to a red button on the wall with a quiet laugh. Commander Rhicorr wasn't bright enough to place guards inside the building! Maybe that was why he was stuck teaching a bunch of "kits". You pressed the button, rocking back on your heels as the door opened and light fluttered into the building. 

"You've passed," Commander Rhicorr stood outside the door. He wasn't at all pleased that your squad had taken a different route, but the objective had been completed.

You strutted out of the building and gave a thumbs up to your teammates. However, Commander Rhicorr blocked your way. "You need to come with me, (Y/N)."

You followed after the commander into the control center. It was unusual for any of you young Galra to be called into it, but curiousity overshadowed the confusion. 

The two of you entered a room and you immediately saluted. In front of you stood Commander Sendak, an actual soldier of the Galra Empire. 

You were startled when his eyes narrowed, one the usual bright yellow and the other a red, robotic enhancement. "Where is your father?" He hissed, grabbing your arm in his oversized robotic one.

"Wha- dad? What happened to him?" Your fur prickled with unease. Sendak was being so hostile.

"Your father went missing the same time a prisoner escaped. I ask you once more. Where. Is. Your. Traitorous. Father."

"My dad is no traitor!" You exclaimed, tearing yourself from Sendak's grip. "You have no proof it was him, he's loyal to the Empire!"

Sendak's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Let us head to my ship. There I have all the proof you need."

As you unwillingly followed Sendak to his ship you smiled at Gresal and Nafeer.

Little did you know it would be the last time you saw them.

...

Once more, Sendak had asked you where your father was. You refused to believe he was a traitor, and in the end, Sendak labeled you one.

"Since you won't speak," Sendak's words rung in your ear, "You are a traitor too. I will take you to Haggar, but for now..."

You were in the middle of a miniature arena. Your armor had been exchanged for prisoner rags, and you were weaponless. Fellow Galra jeered and booed at you as you stepped back. Suddenly, the ground was shaking. A hole opened up in the arena, and out rose an alien on a platform. 

It was an Aracho. They were living metal, a robotic figure with six legs. Though it lacked arms the single eye that sprouted from the middle of its head, on a stalk, fired deadly beams. 

It creaked, a red eye locking onto you as it glowed. You jumped out of the way as a beam fired from it. The spot you were in seconds ago was scorched and smoking.

You shuddered, racking your mind for the information you learned during training. You raced under the gigantic, purple alien as it looked in all directions. 

It creaked with confusion. That's right, Arachos blind spots were directly under them. You stayed under it as it searched furiously, becoming more and more frustrated. 

You spotted a bolt on one its legs and paused momentarily. You had an idea.

You clung onto one of the long, robotic legs. The Aracho was attempting to fire at you, but everytime it turned you were shifted on its leg. You began to pick at the bolt with a claw, using your past expirences with taking apart and reassembling different technology, to your advantage. 

A bolt fell off with a pop. 

The Aracho stumbled and creaked once more. You felt a beam pass you, dangerously close to your head. You hurried to unscrew the other one. After a few tense ticks the bolt clattered to the ground, and with it, the leg of the Aracho.

It swung wildly, unbalanced, as you dove for the leg. It began to stumble towards you, firing its beam with thankfully horrible accuracy. You pointed its sharp foot up, and drove the leg through the Aracho's middle.

It whirled and creaked wildly, falling sideways. It's legs clawed at the ground in panic as it tried to lift itself. 

You panted, stepping back with relief on your features. You were wrenched from your spot without warning, and felt a tight grip on your arms.

Sendak was obviously not pleased you escaped unscathed. You were forced back into your cell, looking at the other prisoners who cowered before you.

This was how you would spend the next couple of Quintents.


	2. Jailbreak

You stared dully at the sleek, metal walls. Your fingers slid across the cool floors, claws scraping the surface. You coud see your distorted reflection in the walls of the cell.

Vibrant purple fur was matted in clumps. A large, bat-like ear twitched faintly, while the other was folded half way in the limp manner it always had before. Both ears had lighter purple streaks on them. Yellow, pupilless eyes stared right back at you. The dull gray rags that all prisoners wore made the calculating gaze, your gaze, narrow.

You jumped as you felt a hand on your shoulder, whirling around to face the offender. Maybe it was sentries retrieving you for your next arena fight, or the druids bringing you to Haggar for the painful expirements that had been promised. Instead, your eyes met the gaze of Elder.

He was a slender alien, with pale gray skin. His face was wrinkled, and a bulbous growth sprouted from the center of his head. The center was orange, matching his lips that were pulled into a small frown. He ran one of his four arms through his hair, pushing the stringy gray locks out of his face. His black eyes held warmth and expirence of many decafebes, the exact reason you had began referring to him as Elder. 

"(Y/N)," He said, his voice much more serious than you've heard it in a while. 

You tilted your head, focusing on him immediately. "What?"

He bent down to your height to whisper. While most Galra towered over other species, you were unfortunate enough to be a runt. At least it made the other six prisoners more willing to trust you. "There's something going on. I have no idea what but I heard Sendak has launched Fighters. I need you to come with me over to the others, just in case," Elder said softly, turning back to look at the other five prisoners.

You nodded, getting up and following him. It was no secret you were the best fighter out of the seven of you, and if worse came to worse you had to protect them from whatever was attacking the ship.

You stood in front of the six other prisoners while Elder explained the situation as gently as he could. At some point a quiet beep made your ears perk in alarm as you held out your claws in a defensive manner. "Something's coming. Stay behind me, everyone."

The door opened with a hiss, revealing two figures. Both were wearing armor, hiding their features from you. The only thing you could see was the taller one in the black and white armor had cautious dark gray eyes. However, the smaller one in green and white armor had almond colored eyes. The three of you locked gazes and you could see the alarm that crossed their features. 

The smaller one pulled out a white and green device that matched its armor. It clicked a button and formed a green arrow like weapon that crackled with electricity.

Your fur bristled as you bent lower, prepared to fight for the trembling prisoners behind you before the taller of the two intruders put their hand over the smaller one's chest.

"Hold on, Pidge. This Galra is a prisoner too. Look at the clothes," They pointed out.

Pidge looked at you, then the other prisoners that you were still standing protectively in front of. You could see their face scrunch up in distaste as they let out a sigh, "I suppose." They clicked their weapon off as the taller figure walked foward.

"Don't be afraid," The black armored one spoke. "We're here to help you escape."

"It's you," Elder gasped in awe, still holding one of the younger prisoner's in a protective embrace. "It's you, The Champion. If anyone can get us out of here, he can!"

"Wh- what did you call me?" The Champion questioned unsurely. 

"We don't have much time. Let's get to the escape pods," Pidge said.

The Champion nodded, gesturing towards the prisoners and you urgently, "Let's go, come on."

You all began to follow the two, though you slowed slightly. You tugged on one of Elder's four hands, gaining his attention, "(Y/N)?"

"I need to search. There might be information here," You said seriously, yellow eyes staring determinedly into black ones.

"Your father," Elder said in realization as you nodded in confirmation. 

"Please tell The Champion and Pidge if they notice my absence," You muttered.

Elder embraced you in a quick hug, one that you returned without question. After a few heartwarming moments he released you with a gentle smile, "Stay safe, (Y/N)."

"I will," You promised, giving one last hug to Elder before he ran after the other prisoners. You went the opposite direction, towards the area Sendak kept important information. It was the same place they kept the Red Lion, and the White Lion.

... 

You thanked the stars you were a runt. Unlike normal sized Galra, you were able to navigate smaller areas, and with sentries all over the ship this trait was favorable.

You navigated the vents, using clues from panels that allowed you to peek through to find your way. Eventually you did stumble upon the area needed. You could see the Red Lion, surrounded by its particle barrier, and beside it was the White Lion. 

Your heart sped up as you looked at the smaller of the two Lions. Its barrier was clear, though it was streaked with white. You stared, feeling like there was something watching you. It was then the Lion's yellow eyes glinted.

You were snapped from your staring contest with the White Lion as a figure with the same armor of the previous two figures entered. This one had red and white armor, however.

"Bingo," The figure put his hand on the barrier the Red Lion had up. "Let's get out of here, open up."

Nothing happened.

"It's me, Keith," He tried again. "Your buddy."

The Lion remained unresponsive.

"It's me," Keith repeated, annoyance lacing his tone, "Keith your- I. Am. Your. Paladin."

The Red Lion remained immobile as you snickered. Sudden blue beams of weapons firing began to assault Keith as you jolted. Those were the sentries blasters, you would recognize them anywhere.

Keith formed a blue energy shield, turning and looking back at the Red Lion with teeth grit, "I'M BONDING WITH YOU."

Keith shifted his hold on the shield, manuevering it to better protect himself, "HEY. COME ON. WE'RE CONNECTED!" 

A device, similar to Pidge's, but red instead of green, formed. A sword emerged from the handle as Keith swung at the sentry. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING THESE LIONS!" 

You saw a sentry approaching from behind as Keith remained locked in combat with the other one. Quickly making up your mind you unhooked the panel, grabbing it and riding it down like a skateboard. It clonked the sentry on the head, sending it crumbling to the ground. 

Keith continued to fight the other sentry, but spared you an alarmed glance. His purple gaze was narrowed in suspicion.

"Don't worry," You said, picking up the vent cover and whacking an attacking sentry with it. "I have your back!"

You could tell that he was still unsure of you, probably because you were Galra, but ignored it. 

Keith swung and charged sentries, but one managed to get through his shield. He was sent flying back, crashing on the ground as you took a defensive stance in front of him, claws out as a weapon and the panel gripped in your hand as a make-shift shield.

"Galra girl, hang onto something!" Keith called, lifting his hand. 

You quickly obeyed, grabbing the nearest bar as sentries closed in on you.

Keith slammed the button nearest to him and the air locke began to open. The air current pulled with such force that you were barely holding on, and you could see Keith was struggling as well.

The sentries were pulled from the room as you struggled to hang on. Debris crushed your hands, and you yelped in pain, your hold involuntarily released. 

You took a quick breath, the sudden change in air pressure already beginning to make you light headed. Your vision was tinged with black as you were pulled into space, your lungs screaming for oxygen. You couldn't even pinpoint where Keith was sucked out into the airless void.

An image of the White Lion filled your mind as you felt a warmth spread through your chest, much more different than the firey feeling of being unable to breathe. Your vision swam once more as your once thrashing limbs began to become limp and heavy. As your eyes finally shut you faintly heard a woosh of movement.

Then everything went white.


	3. Team Voltron

Air.

You took in a greedy gulp as you shot up. Your hands immediately flew to your head, a pounding headache beginning. You cringed, eyes shutting as you scrunched up your face to try and soothe the pain. A flash of color startled you, your eyes snapping open.

You took a few more deep breaths, calming yourself down as the ache dulled to a simple throb. Once again you allowed your eyes to slide shut. Maybe the lack of oxygen had made you see things?

Nope. Once again, color flooded your vision. After a few ticks it began to take shape. It was like you were hovering above the room, looking at the inhabinats from a height.

You could see Keith, still in the same red and white armor. His helmet was off though, allowing you to finally see his messy black hair. "She helped me. I have no idea what happened to her after the air locke opened and the Red Lion saved me."

"If that Galra helped Keith, and she was a prisoner like Shiro said, then she's an ally," A new figure said eagerly. He had the same armor, except his was blue and white. He had sleek brown hair, stunning dark blue eyes, and colored skin. 

"Are you sure there's no alternative motive to that, Lance?" Keith asked dryly. 

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lance snapped at the ravenette.

The two began to bicker. Before you could observe more you heard- or more like felt- a rumble. 

You were suddenly back in the same room you'd woken up in. It was pure white, save for light gray and black controls that revealed the room to be some sort of ship. You sat up, pushing a pristine white chair backwards. You had been laying in it mere moments ago. Your purple fur stuck out against the never ending whiteness. It didn't seem like you belonged.

Once again, you felt a quiet rumble. It was like something was speaking to you in your head, but not with words. Through feelings and images. You felt yourself calm down as your mind was fed with pictures and emotions. A calmness spread throughout you.

You weren't sure exactly what this feeling was trying to portray, but whatever was doing it was trying to soothe you. For that, you were thankful.

Looking around the room once more you frowned. You had to find out where you were, and sooner rather than later was the best option. You began to head to the back of the ship in search of an exit. 

As you approached the exit you heard yelling. It sounded like it was Keith and the blue armored male still agruing, judging by their voices.

You yelped as the ship began to move. The voices fell silent as you blindly reached for something to keep you upright from the sudden movement. However, caught off guard, it was too much. The ship opened and you slid down a ramp, crashing to the ground outside the ship in a tangle of limbs.

Your fur prickled as you sensed the panic from the room's occupants. You quickly untangled yourself from a rather large fellow.

He was wearing white and yellow armor that looked similar to the others you had seen. He had brown eyes, darker brown hair, and colored skin. He also looked like he was going to be sick.

You suddenly had a white and red sword pressed to your throat. You weren't stupid, you stiffened and looked up at the offender with narrowed, yellow eyes.

"Wait a tick," You heard Pidge say. You slightly turned your head to see the smallest of the group. He had the same green and white armor, and almond colored eyes. With his helmet off you were able to see his short, sandy locks. Much to your delight you two seemed to be the same height. "This is the Galra prisoner."

Keith, who was on the other end of the sword, stared at you for a few ticks. He pulled the sword back, his purple gaze widened in recognition. You could see mild relief and curiosity in them. "And this is the Galra that helped me free the Lions." He added.

"Oh, thank the Quiznak," The blue armored one spoke, patting the still green faced yellow one on his shoulder. 

"I still don't think you're using that word right," Keith sighed.

"It can't be," A newer voice had cut in. You turned around, coming face to face with an Altean. You jumped back instinctively, looking at it wearily. 

She was a dark skinned Altean with pink markings. She was wearing a blue, white, yellow, and pink dress. Her hair was long, voluminous, and white, and her ice blue stare felt like it was cutting right into your quintessence.

Behind her stood another Altean. He had vibrant orange hair, and a rather marvelous mustache to go along with it. He was wearing a black, yellow, white, and blue suit. His markings were a light blue and his purple eyes were filled with more curiosity than anything. 

While you were studying the two Alteans you didn't expect the female one to get in your face. Your ears flattened backwards, not from fear, but from being so uncomfortable.

"The Lions would never pick a Galra as their Paladin after what happened," She seethed. She looked angry, but being so close you were able to see the fear and hurt in her eyes. "How did you get into the White Lion?!"

The White Lion? Dazed, you looked behind yourself. The ship you had woken up in had in fact been the White Lion. It stood behind you, silent and mobileless, but you got the feeling it was watching your exchange.

"Did you make it bond with you?!" You turned back to the frantic Altean, seeing the male had rested his hand on her shoulder. 

"Allura," He spoke, giving you an apologetic glance despite how uncomfortable he himself looked. "Remember what you said. The bond can't be forced. You know how the White Lion is. It has a reason behind every Paladin it chooses, no matter how unreasonable it looks to be."

You could see Allura swallow her anger as she stepped back. She was trying to force herself to calm down.

"I apologize," She finally managed to say. "It is just, after what your people have done to us..." She trailed off.

You could tell she wasn't really sorry, but after what Lord Zarkon had done you didn't blame her. "It's okay, I understand."

Allura took a deep breath to compose herself, trying her best to smile, but it resembled a grimace. "My name is Princess Allura of Altea. This is the Adviser to the Royal Family of Altea, Coran." She gestured towards the orange haired Altean. "You seem to have already met Pidge, Shiro, and Keith."

You nodded in confirmation, waiting for her to continue.

"The one in the blue armor is Lance, he pilots the Blue Lion. And the one you crashed into is Hunk, he pilots the Yellow Lion."

"It's nice to meet you," You said once the introductions were finished. "I'm (Y/N)."

You blinked with surprise as you felt an arm around your shoulder. You glanced over, seeing who you now know as Lance, wink.

"Who took the stars out of the sky and put them in your eyes?" He flirted, collective groans filling the room.

You stared at him, a blank expression on your face. "Your ears..."

"What? What about my ears?" Lance pulled back and began to feel his round ears with confusion on his face.

You wrinkled your nose with disgust. "They're hideous."


	4. Defenders of the Universe

"Wh- Why does everyone keep saying that?!" Lance cried out. You swore you saw a gloomy aura surround him as he slouched.

You didn't quite understand what was happening, but the sound of buttons being pressed caught your attention. Turning to face Allura, who was typing furiously by a control panel, you wondered what was going on.

"Paladins, there's no time for celebration yet. It seems as if Sendak's ship is traveling towards Arus. We must unlock the Black Lion immediately!"

She gestured for everyone to follow. You weren't sure if that included you, but someone grabbed your arm and tugged you along after them. You were surprised to see it had been Coran.

Coming to a stop by the end of the hangar Allura approached another panel. A gargantuan door towered ahead, the Black Lion waiting behind it, ever patient for its release. Shiro stood in front of the door, looking up. His posture was stiff. He was most likely nervous, but any good leader knew not to let their Team see their doubt.

One by one the Lions began to turn on. First the Green Lion, followed by Red, Yellow, Blue, and finally White. Their eyes glowed yellow, and lights on their sides became bright blue. 

At the same time, Allura stood before the panel. One by one all five colors began to connect, forming a single line that lead up to the biggest symbol which shone black and purple. 

The door glowed slightly, beginning to open. You held your breath, it was terrifying. The great head of Voltron that had been passed down in legends by many universes was before you. Just looking at it though only made you think of one thing, Zarkon.

Once the door was fully opened the Black Lion's eyes flashed yellow. It stood, giving a mighty roar that shook you to your very core.

The other five Lions followed suit. They stood, facing their leader and roaring in return. The six Lions of Voltron were once again united.

Coran cheered while Allura sighed in relief. However, the joy was short lived. An alarm split the air while the room flashed red with danger.

"Oh Quiznak," Coran stepped back and glanced towards the Paladins and you.

"Sendak is entering the Arusian atmosphere," Allura reported. "We need Voltron now!"

As the Paladins raced off to their Lions, Coran grabbed your arm once more. "Quickly (Y/N), Allura will watch over the other Paladins. We need to get your bayard, stat!" You ran after the Altean advisor as he lead you through several rooms. The castle shook and the both of you wobbled, it seemed Sendak had arrived. 

"What do you mean my bayard?" You questioned as he lead you into a new room. In it there were six round cases, but only one of them had anything in it. It was a black suit with white on the shoulder pads, knee pads, chest, and helmet. It looked like it was a reversed suit to Shiro's, but you supposed it made sense. It couldn't be completely white after all.

"You're the White Paladin. You pilot the White Lion," Coran said as he took out your suit. "Put that on, quickly please. The helmet allows you to communicate with the other five Paladins."

"I'm what?" You echoed, genuinely surprised. You kept your clothes from your time as a prisoner, slipping the suit on with ease. It adjusted to your height, fitting perfectly. When you jammed on the helmet you cringed. It was crushing your ears. Luckily for you the helmet began to change as well, allowing two air tight slits to form a clear barrier. Your ears were able to perk out of the barrier, twitching with plenty of room.

"The White Paladin," Coran repeated as he next lead you over to a shelf. Like before it was empty except for a black and white device. It looked just like Pidge's, minus the color. "This is probably a lot to take in right now (Y/N), but the White Lion bonded with you. You're the only one able to pilot it, and the other Paladins need your help."

Coran handed you the odd-looking device, which you gripped tightly. A bright light shone throughout the room, blinding you temporarily. When it died down the device had a glowing white chain connected to it, and on the other end there was a curved sickle. You stared in awe, trying to comprehend the onslaught of information. 

"Bayards are the traditional weapon of the Paladins of Voltron. Its form is based on the Paladin's strengths," Coran informed you, now leading you back to the hangar. Once you reached it he turned to you, a serious expression on his face. "(Y/N), you're taking part in a war that has been long overdue, 10,000 years overdue to be exact. But... it's against your own kind. The Paladins need you, and the Universe needs you. Can you do it?"

You stood in front of the White Lion. You felt like it was looking down at you, watching you with a silent, calculating gaze. "I'll be fine, Coran. I've realized what the Galra Empire is doing isn't right," You said, your thoughts momentarily in the past. "Thank you for everything."

The castle suddenly shook as the two of you wobbled. You clung onto the White Lion's leg, keeping yourself upright.

"The Particle Barrier is down and the Paladins are stuck in a tractor beam," Allura's voice reported through your helmet. "You need to get out there!"

You swiftly boarded the White Lion, taking your seat once more. Your fingers wrapped around the controls in a perfect fit as you saw Coran waving his arm through the screen. "Good luck (Y/N)!"

You nodded, though you knew he couldn't see. The White Lion crouched down, pouncing into the air moments later. The hangar doors opened and blue beams shot from beneath her metal paws, propelling her foward with great speed.

"Hey, look who decided to join us!" Hunk's relieved voice cried through your helmet.

"I got your backs, guys. Hang in there," You responded, gripping the controls tighter. 

The White Lion rolled out of the way of several beams as you tugged a lever. Pushing foward another one she parted her jaws, catching one of the Fighter's in it. 

"One, two, three!" Lance cheered as you steered your Lion close to the still attacking Fighters. You used the one in your Lion's grip as a battering ram, crashing three of them together till your captive one finally exploded. 

As the tractor beam pulled the rest of the Lions closer you heard the other Paladins beginning to lose hope. You gripped the controls tighter, fighting as fast as you could through the Fighters that were forming a protective wall against the ship.

"It can't end here!" Pidge growled. You could almost imagine him tugging his controls in every direction, desperate to escape.

"This is it!" Lance added. If you had to guess he was probably pushing random buttons at that point.

"It's been an honor flying with you boys," Keith's voice crackled over the communication link. He had most likely punched something out of anger by now. 

"Oh no!" And all the while Hunk was yelling in the background. 

Their words were getting to you. It was just you six, eight if you included Allura and Coran, against an entire Empire. The odds were against you.

"No! We can do this! We have to believe in ourselves!" Shiro suddenly yelled, silencing the voices of doubt that had began to rise. "We can't give up. We are the universe's only hope. Everyone is relying on us. We can't fail. We won't fail! If we work together, we'll win together!"

"Yeah!" The five of you echoed back. The Lions roared afterwards, agreeing with Shiro's words.

You had a clear head now, and with that you were able to find a weak point in the Fighters. You launched the White Lion towards it, firing a blue beam that cut through the ranks with ease. As smoke was thrown up you flew your Lion through the now opened spot. The Fighters fired blindly, unaware that you had already passed through. You pushed two levers foward, causing the White Lion to go even faster. She lifted her legs, approaching the tractor beam with outstanding speed. The White Lion's claws cut through the device, forcing the beam to shut off.

At the same time the five Lions trapped in the tractor beam began to glow their corresponding colors. The Black Lion's legs folded in on itself, it's back end shifting to form an upper body. The Green, Red, Blue, and Yellow Lions also tucked their legs in, flying to their respective spots. The Red Lion became the right arm, growing in size and letting out a roar. The same thing happened to the Green Lion, which became Voltron's left arm. The Blue Lion connected to the Black Lion's lower left, becoming the left leg. This left the Yellow Lion becoming Voltron's right leg.

Voltron grabbed Sendak's ship, causing the Ion Cannon to fire past its intended target. A devastating explosion went off in the distance, Allura and Coran were safe.

"I can't believe it!" Keith gasped, an excited tone to his voice.

"We formed Voltron!" Pidge added. You swore you could hear his smile.

"I'm a leg!" Hunk cheered, most likely shaking from excitement. 

"How are we doing this?" Lance laughed. He was probably hopping around in the poor Blue Lion.

"I don't know, but let's get that cannon!" Shiro ordered.

Voltron grabbed the cannon, tearing it from Sendak's ship with unforetold strength. As it tossed the cannon to the side you fired the White Lion's beam, blasting it far away from the fight.

Attack after attack Voltron delivered to the top half of Sendak's ship. You attacked the bottom, the White Lion tearing through the walls and firing her beams. The ship began to descend, small scale explosions appearing over the ship as the six of you tore it apart.

"(Y/N), back up! We're delivering the final blow!" Shiro warned you through the communication link.

You steered your Lion away just as the entire ship began to fall apart. Voltron backed away from the explosion, hovering beside you as the six of you stared in wonder. It finally erupted into a ball of fire, leaving the ship crashing to the ground.

This was the power of Voltron.

...

"Good work, Paladins!" Allura hurried into the hangar, a relieved grin on her face. 

You were just pulling off your helmet, relishing the feeling of the cool air. 

"Thanks, pretty lady," Lance pulled off his helmet as well, giving a smirk.

"We did it," Shiro said, still in awe. 

"Heck yeah, we did," Keith said proudly, also pulling off his helmet.

"How did we do it?" Shiro chuckled.

"I was just, like, screaming the whole time. Maybe that did it!" Hunk chirped, pulling his helmet off with some difficulty. 

Pidge looked downwards with a slight frown on his face. Shiro rested his hand on Pidge's shoulder, a fatherly look in his eyes, "We're not going to stop searching until we find your brother and father."

Your ears perked with interest at that. Pidge's father was missing too? You'd have to ask about that later.

"Wherever they are, I know they'd be proud of you," Shiro continued. 

Pidge gave a small smile in response. 

Allura interrupted the moment, a solemn look on her face, "We won the battle, but the war has only just begun. I'm afraid Zarkon will not stop until he gets these Lions."

"Good thing you Paladins know what you're doing!" Coran chirped. "Because you're going to have to form Voltron again and again!"

"Totally," Hunk agreed. "Wait, what?"

"We barely survived forming Voltron this one time," Lance added with an eyebrow raise.

"Oho! And you only had to fight one ship! Wait until you have to fight a whole fleet of them!" Coran began to twirl his mustache, "It's not going to be easy being the Defenders of the Universe."

Surprise crossed the Paladins features, excluding you. 

"Defenders of the Universe, huh?" Shiro mused. "That's got a nice ring to it."

You smiled along with the rest of them, but your thoughts were elsewhere. 

How could you be a part of the team if they didn't need you to form Voltron?


	5. Reasons

It was early in the morning, you could tell as your body was still plagued by the need to sleep. However, you ignored the longing call for bed, instead shifting a few papers aside to read the next one. 

The previously clean and organized room of the former White Paladin was now a mess. You had papers hanging on the walls, a few scattered across the bed, one or two on the desk in the corner of the room, and the rest strewn across the floor. They were files of all the previous inhabinats and workers of the Castle of Lions. Coran had offered them to you the previous night when you mentioned you needed information. You weren't so sure if the files contained anything on your father, but you did notice a pattern of the White Lion's Paladins, and that made you uneasy.

A sudden alarm jolted you from your half-conscious state, making the files that had been clutched loosely in your hands rain down across the room. That was the least of your worries right now.

"Everybody up! Zarkon's attacking!" Allura's voice ordered through the intercom.

You stumbled from your messy bed, grabbing your bayard from the nightstand. You then proceeded to race from your room, shoving your helmet on with urgency in case you you had to be sent out.

"The castle's about to be destroyed! Go, go, go! We need Voltron, NOW!" Allura yelled again, "Hurry, we can't survive much longer!"

There was a couple ticks of silence before Coran's voice came over the intercom instead. "Oh no, Allura is dead! Ahhhhhh, it's horrible! Her head fell off! Wai- wha? Her severed head is trying to speak to me!"

It was at that time you entered the control room to see Coran sobbing and cradling an imaginary figure. "What is it Allura's head? What are your final words?"

"Coran," Allura had glanced your way, noticing Shiro, Pidge, Keith, Hunk, and you. You stood there, ears twitching in annoyance. The lack of sleep already tested your patience. Now this false alarm pushed it.

"Oh yes Princess, I'm listening," Coran whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes as he still hadn't noticed the five of you.

"It's over," Allura stated, shaking her head at his childish antics. 

"Ohh, I know. Aghhh, if only Voltron had been formed!" Coran had sunk to his knees, turning and noticing you five standing there. He stayed still, tears still pooling down his face before realizing exactly what was happening. "Oh," He straightened up immediately, tossing a ticker behind his back. "Time!"

"I guess this isn't an actual attack," Shiro stated while Pidge was rubbing his eyes.

"And it's a good thing it wasn't because it took you-," Allura glanced toward the Altean male, "Coran?"

"75 degrees," Coran said seriously before smiling sheepishly. "Oops, sorry, no! This is a meat thermometer."

"However long it was it was too long," Allura stated, walking closer to the five of you. "You must always be ready to do battle with Zarkon. Look at you! Only Shiro and (Y/N) are in uniform! Keith, Pidge, Hunk, where are your bayards? And where is Lance?"

As if he had heard Allura's call the door slid open and Lance strutted into the room. He was dressed in a traditional Altean robe, face shining as he yawned, "Good morning everybody. What's going on?"

"Coran and I have been up for hours getting the castle back in order. We had to run a test on the alarms and we decided to test you as well." Allura scowled, stopping in front of Lance. "Guess which one failed?"

"Hey," Hunk yawned, "You got to sleep for 10,000 years, man. Monday night I was on earth. Now I've flown through space, fought some evil alien named Zarkon, eaten goo in some weird castle... That's a lot to process in a,- what day is today?"

"It's the third quintant of the Spicolian movement," Coran answered. "Hump day!" 

"It's a lot to process," Hunk finished, exhaustion still clear in his voice. 

"You must understand the stakes of our mission," Allura replied, a control panel appearing before her. "Over the last 10,000 years the castle picked up distress beacons from the following locations." The room became dimmer, three dimensional holograms of planets taking form and casting a blue glow throughout the room. "So we have to assume that Zarkon has conquered almost the entire known universe." She began to shift the holographic map, scrolling from an area that was completely red to a soft, light blue. "Earth is here. An attack on your planet is inevitable." 

"Oh no," Hunk said softly. 

"Exactly. Our mission is to free all those planets," Allura informed, her expression grim. "Coran and I are getting the castle ready to leave Arus. During that time you have to learn to form Voltron so we can begin fighting Zarkon."

"The Princess is right," Shiro said, looking over Team Voltron with a nod. "Let's get to our Lions and start training."

"Wait, but I want to talk to the prisoners we rescued from the Galra ship," Pidge interjected. 

"Ah, negative Number Six!" Coran was kneeling down beside Pidge before he smiled. "I have you ranked by height, okay? The prisoners need to remain on the Cryoreplenishes until tomorrow."

"Besides," Hunk grunted as he stretched, his arms reaching up into the air, "(Y/N) was a prisoner too. You could always ask her."

"That's right. Now get to your Lions," Allura ordered.

As the six of you headed off you felt a stare burning into your back. You knew it was Pidge without even having to look, and it was only a matter of time before he questioned you. 

His stare became more intense as you turned to face Shiro, "I have to take care of something. Why don't you head out without me, since Voltron doesn't require the White Lion to form it."

Shiro looked like he was debating with himself for a few moments before answering, "Alright, but meet us out there once you are finished. Allura said six become one, not five."

You nodded, hurrying off. Even after you rounded the corner and their voices faded away you could feel the burning gaze on you. You buried your head into your knees, breathing deeply. You weren't sure what to do. Originally you had been planning to go back to your room and continue searching the files for any information on your father, but the dull headache you had acquired from lack of sleep seemed to come full force now. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to force the persistent ache away. You sat there for what felt like vargas until you began to hear faint footsteps.

"There you are," Allura's annoyed tone split the air, making you groan softly. "You're supposed to be out training with your fellow Paladins." You could hear her walking closer until she stopped a few paces in front of you. "(Y/N), are you feeling okay?" Her voice was surprisingly softer, and you could hear concern laced in it somewhere.

You lifted your head, forcing your eyes open as you looked up at Allura. "I'm alright, it's just a headache."

Allura looked skeptical, "Shiro said you had to take care of something and would be out later, but you ended up missing the entire training bout."

"Have I really been sitting here that long?" You asked, genuinely surprised. "I'm sorry Allura. I was planning to search the Castle of Lions files again, but then this headache began... The White Lion doesn't seem to be needed to form Voltron though, so I thought-"

Allura cut you off, "Of course the White Lion is necessary for Voltron. In fact, it could be argued as one of the most important parts."

This piqued your interest. "It is? What does it do?"

Allura looked thoughtful for a few ticks before a mischievous glint flashed across her ice blue gaze. "You must feel a sense of teamwork and create a bond with both your Lion and the other Paladins," She began. "Once you do this the White Lion's position should be revealed to you."

"I see," You replied, picking up on the hidden meaning behind her words. She wanted you to participate in the future trainings and to find your place on Team Voltron. And just maybe she was telling you she didn't care that you were a Galra.

"Allura..." You uttered, beginning to get up as you gave her a small smile, "Thank you."

"Of course," She replied, returning the gesture with a smile of her own. "Come on now, Coran should be at Training Deck with the others."

You followed behind Allura, the Altean Princess walking at a brisk pace. "Oh, and (Y/N)?"

"Huh?" You had been focusing on the fact your headache went back to a simple ache again, nothing more serious. 

"Get more sleep," Allura stated without looking behind her.

You blinked with surprise, "How did you...?"

"I have my ways," Allura answered. You swore you could hear a smile in her voice. Once more a comfortable silence resumed between the two of you.

Now you had a reason to train, a reason to find out why you were here, and a reason to protect your newfound friends.


	6. Detached Unity

Allura led you to the training deck. The previous conversations between the Paladins halted as they greeted you.

"Hey (Y/N), you missed it," Lance began, sending Keith a wide smirk.

"Lance," Keith said warningly, but of course the Blue Paladin wasn't going to pass up a chance to embarrass his self proclaimed rival. 

"Keith suggested we build Voltron from the ground up. Like a cheer leading pyramid," Lance revealed, snickering.

You stifled a laugh, trying to imagine the robotic, metal felines stacking ontop of eachother. The conversation with Allura had cheered you up tremendously, despite the stare that had once again locked onto your figure. "What a shame," You commented.

"Ahem," Coran cleared his throat, making your ears swivel. Allura had already left the room as you turned to glance at the other Altean. He was standing on an observation deck, looking down at the six of you. "Two, two, one, two. Okay, listen up, guys. The Paladin Code demands you put your team members' safety above your own. A swarm of drones is about to attack." 

You looked around wearily. Meanwhile, the others began to whisper with confusion. 

"It's up to each of you to do everything you can to protect the other members of your team," Coran continued. Several small, round drones flew into the training deck. They circled you, making you back up to form a tighter defense with the others. You were between Keith and Hunk, leaving Shiro to watch your back. 

"Wait, wait, wait," Hunk's gaze followed the multitude of drones. "What's going on?" A sudden blue flash appeared in front of him, forming a clear energy shield. "Woah, did you guys get one of these?"

One by one small flashes appeared until all six of you had an energy shield on one of your arms.

"Get ready," Shiro ordered. 

The drones began to fire and with a gasp Hunk ducked. The beam immediately hit Pidge, making him stiffen with surprise. The ground underneath him turned red and he disappeared into a hole that formed with a startled cry.

"Protect your teammates or no one will be there to protect you!" Coran's voice rang through the sounds of lasers firing.

You held up your shield, shifting to the left to protect several lasers that otherwise would have finished off Lance. Unfortunately, it left Hunk wide open and he too disappeared into the ground. 

The drones continued firing and you backed up more, your shield hiding your face. Your back hit someone else's and you could see that you were shoulder to shoulder with Keith and Lance. This meant that Shiro had your other side.

"Time to increase intensity," Coran chirped.

"Ah, Quiznak," You grumbled. 

The drones began to spin faster, their beams firing rapidly. You gritted your teeth, shifting the shield every which way to protect the others. 

"You keeping up over there, Keith?" Lance asked with a smug tone. He looked back at Keith, no longer focused on the drones. A laser split by his side and right onto your head.

With a hiss of annoyance and surprise the ground beneath you turned red and you slid into a tube. You landed on something soft and a quiet groan followed soon after.

"Sorry, Hunk!" You rolled off the bigger figure, bending down to help him back up.

"We really got to stop running into eachother like this," Hunk rubbed his head as he accepted your help.

Yelling filled the air as Keith now joined you three.

"Lance being negligent?" You questioned, noticing the furious expression on his face.

"Lance being negligent," He confirmed. Somehow Lance managed to not only get him hit, but you also. 

Lance yelped as he fell into the room, Shiro following moments later. The Blue Paladin gave you a sheepish smile. You scowled in response, turning away. 

The door to the room opened and Allura walked in, her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. "You call that teamwork?"

...

You didn't even get a chance to participate in the next training excercise. Lance and Keith continuously argued, the latter failing to guide Lance through an invisible maze. You spent most of that time catching up on your sleep, unaware of Hunk's giggling laughter at the fact you slept like a "cat".

...

Now you were soaring through the sky in the White Lion. Beside you flew the other five Lions, yours being the smallest of the lot. The Green Lion had yours beat by only a few inches.

"You'll never be able to form Voltron unless each of you has a strong bond with his or her Lion," Coran's voice spoke through the communication link in your helmet.

"No problem," Lance's voice snarked once Coran finished speaking. "Me and Blue are best buds for life, for real."

"Perfect! Then you won't have any issues with this excercise. Everyone, put your Lions into a nose dive!" Coran ordered.

You obeyed, the White Lion beginning a steep dive towards the ground. Your stomach twisted with nerves, but at least you could pull up when needed. You wouldn't crash that way. 

"This is an expert level drill that you really shouldn't attempt until you've been flying for years, but we're in a bit of a rush, so here we go," Coran's voice began once more. "Activating training helmets!"

Your vision suddenly went black as you let out a shriek. You could hear the other Paladins voicing their distress, but only Lance and you were actually yelling.

"Coran, what's happening?! I can't see!" Lance yelped.

"We're gonna crash!" You added, shakily reaching for the controls.

"You must learn to see through your Lions' eyes. The goal is to pull up right before you crash into the ground," Coran explained as your hands hovered over the controls. You swallowed stiffly, now gripping the controls as if your life depended on it. Your fingers twitched as you mentally fought with yourself to pull up. "Feel what your Lion feels!" Coran yelled.

Your eyes screwed shut, stomach churning as you could feel the altitude dropping lower and lower. "Feel what my Lion feels... Feel what my Lion feels..." You began to whisper hurriedly, tuning out the others. "A-ah... White, how do you feel?"

You were startled when warmth flooded your fingers, traveling up your entire body. A flash of color passed over you, causing your eyes to snap open. It was still dark. 

You hesitated, closing your yellow orbs once more. "Was that your doing, White?" As if responding to your voice a quiet, electric sounding rumble answered. Again, colors began to appear, but you kept your eyes shut. Your grip unconsciously relaxed as you leaned back, the White Lion's rumble growing. Your vision turned white for a second before you were staring at the approaching ground clearly.

"I've- I've done this before!" You gasped, a smile slowing spreading across your face. When you first met the Paladins you had been watching them from higher up, despite still being in the White Lion. You had been looking through White's eyes without even realizing it. You didn't even notice your eyes had opened, the yellow orbs glowing slightly as the White Lion's did too. The ground began to come into view quickly. You pulled the control stick a bit, bracing White to catch herself. As you passed a cliff face you pulled the handle back all the way. Fire shot from beneath your Lion's paws, drastically slowing your descent. You were now skimming over the ground, dodging rock structures and flying through openings. 

"Excellent Shiro! Marvelous (Y/N)!" Coran praised.

"Thank you, White!" You whispered to your Lion, steering her back to the castle. A robotic purr answered you back.

...

"Now the most important part of Paladin training is being able to meld your minds and focus on one thing, Voltron," Coran's voice filled the room.

Once more you were in the training deck. Now the six of you were sitting in a circle, eyes closed as you listened to the royal advisor speak. White and blue headsets were on your head. They were able to project a holographic image of whatever you were thinking about. It also linked your mind to the other Paladins. 

"Everything else has to fade away," Coran continued. This technique will be essential everytime you form Voltron."

You breathed deeply, an image appearing in front of you, though it continously flickered in and out of existance. It was of you, standing proudly beside a taller Galra, his hand resting on the top of your head fondly. Your father. You smiled sadly at the memories from before he disappeared.

"So relax, and open your mind. No walls, no secrets between Paladins," Coran said in a soothing manner. "Come on, everyone, clear everything. Now, focus on forming your Lion."

You focused on trying to form the White Lion. However, your memories kept getting in the way. Just like the image of your father and you the White Lion began to flicker.

"Bring your Lions together and form Voltron! Keep your minds open, work together. Good!" Coran said. "Keep focusing, only two to go!"

Your fingers twitched. You were one of them, the Lion and image kept rapidly switching from one to the other. 

"Pidge, stop thinking of your girlfriend," Keith snapped, sending the Green Paladin a slight glare. "And (Y/N), stop thinking about the Galra. We're supposed to be fighting them!" 

Your ears perked, eyes narrowing. "You wouldn't even begin to understand, Keith. Don't act like you do," You hissed. His words did hurt you. He didn't know that Galra was your missing father, but still... He acted as if nothing mattered except forming Voltron. Your family mattered too.

"I wasn't!" Pidge's eyes opened next and she faced Hunk accusingly. "Hunk was rooting around in my head!"

"I thought we were open," Hunk defended himself. "You can look in my head hole." 

"Everyone has to be able to look in everyone's head holes!" Coran interrupted, cutting off the agruement. "Clear your minds!"

Once more your eyes slid shut. Your Lion began to head towards the center with the others, becoming fuzzy every so often.

"Good," Coran praised. "Almost there. Now form Voltron!" 

Just as your Lion began to change to a different shape, it vanished. It replaced itself with the image of your father.

"(Y/N)!" Lance whined as the sound of another Lion's image reappearing filled the room. "Pidge!" 

"I'm done with this!" Pidge yelled, yanking off his headset and throwing it to the ground. "Look, I don't like everyone grubbing around in my head!" 

You pulled off your helmet next, glancing at the others with a slight frown. "Me too," Was all you said. 

"Oh come on, Pidge, (Y/N). We're starting to get the hang of this," Shiro protested. 

"I'm just- I'm just tired, okay?" Pidge turned to face Shiro.

You had stood up, beginning to head towards the door. You needed to clear your head, and the other Paladins, excluding Pidge, were being inconsiderate. His dad and brother were missing too, weren't they? Maybe that's why the two of you seemed to have so much trouble bonding with the others. You already lost people you loved. 

"Okay, let's take a break," Shiro said from behind you. You could feel the other Paladins glancing your way.

But by then you had already left the room.


	7. Teamwork

After slinking into your room you collapsed onto the bed. You picked up a few of the files you had abandoned earlier, shifting through them half-heartedly. Eventually, your arm hung off the bed and with a groan you released the papers. 

A few moments later several rapid, impatient knocks hit your door. "Not right now," You answered sluggishly, lying on your back and looking up at the blank ceiling. 

The door slid open nonetheless. Ears twitching you turned your head to see Pidge entering the room. The sight of the Green Paladin's determined expression caught you off guard. You sat up, looking him over curiously, "Pidge?"

"(Y/N), we need to talk, now. I've been waiting all day," Pidge stated, an arm resting on his hip in a sassy manner. "It's-"

"It's information about your father and brother, right? Since I was a Galra prisoner," You cut him off. "I'm sorry Pidge, I don't know much."

"But you know something," Pidge claimed, latching onto your words in desperation. 

"About Shiro, yes," You revealed, making your fellow Paladin's eyes widen. "I know that he was a big deal in the arena, The Champion. He used his brain to outwit the brawn and vice versa. He escaped the Galra alive, a feat not just anyone can pull alone. That's all I know. I'm sorry, Pidge. I wasn't a prisoner as long as the others. Elder should have some information, since he was there the longest." 

Pidge looked crestfallen. The face he made was so different from the one he had at first that it made your heart ache with empathy. "Pidge," You began, only to be interrupted by said Paladin. "Why were you a prisoner?" He questioned quietly.

"What?" You were caught off guard, your mind drawing a blank.

"Why were you a prisoner, (Y/N)?" Pidge repeated. He had began to walk over to you, taking a seat on your bed. He left a few feet of space between the two of you and made sure to clear the files away before sitting. His hand twitched as he looked over you wearily. "You're a Galra. There must have been a reason you were locked up. What did you do?"

You began to play with your ears, a habit that you had picked up when nervous. You avoided looking at the Green Paladin, but could still feel his stare burning into your back. "It's not what I did," You said softly. "It's what my father did."

This seemed to catch Pidge's interest. You felt the bed dip a bit as he shifted closer. "Your father? What about him?" He urged you to continue. 

You hesitated. You weren't sure if the Paladins would accept you as easily if you revealed that you had been in a training facility to join Zarkon's army. You decided to push that fact to the side, beginning your explanation, "Sendak arrived at the planet I was residing on in search of me. According to him, my father had released some prisoner and was now considered a traitor to the Galra Empire. I told him I didn't know where my dad was, but I also told him he wasn't a traitor." Your voice began to grow bitter as you went on, "And Sendak said that since I refused to think he was a traitor, I was too." Your shoulders sagged as you looked down at your clawed hands, "My father has been missing since."

Silence greeted your words. You continued to look at your hands, ears twitching nervously. It felt like forever before you felt a tentative touch on your shoulder. You tensed instinctively, turning to look at Pidge, who looked just as uncomfortable as you did with the simple touch.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened," He said, sitting back in his original spot to give you both space, "But now you're with us. I don't know how hard it is to turn your back on all you've known, but I do know that Team Voltron wouldn't be the same without you. And about your dad, maybe we could search together? My dad and brother are out there somewhere and so is your dad. I'm sure with your knowledge of space and my skills in collecting information we can find them in no time," Pidge began to ramble, trying his best to explain.

A small grin crept onto your face as he continued to try and elaborate what he was saying, but you already knew what he meant. "Okay Pidge, we can look together," You said, causing the Green Paladin to sigh with relief.

"Oh, good. I felt like I was rambling again," Pidge smiled sheepishly, causing you to laugh.

"Thank you, Pidge," You spoke through your chuckle, reaching over and yanking the other Paladin into a hug.

He stiffened unsurely, but lightly wrapped his arms around you as he returned the hug, "No problem."

Without warning the door slid open. Hunk peeked in, opening his mouth to speak when he saw the two of you embracing one another. The three of you exchanged glances akwardly before Hunk cleared his throat. "So... I guess that girl in the picture really wasn't your girlfriend, Pidge?" He gave the two of you a wide grin.

Pidge and you glanced at eachother for a few ticks before jumping back. You wrapped your arms tightly around yourself while Pidge rubbed the back of his head, giving Hunk a half hearted glare. "Come on, Hunk, don't be another Lance."

You nodded in agreement before shifting your gaze back to the Yellow Paladin. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, yeah," Hunk gestured out the door. "Coran brought these juice box things. He thought you guys might like some."

"Thanks, Hunk," You headed out of your room, followed by the Green and Yellow Paladins. The three of you entered the lounge area where Coran was just beginning to hand out the "juice box things".

"You have been working hard. Maybe it's time to relax a little," Coran said as you took a seat with the others. He handed you one of the containers and you took a big sip, unaware of how parched you were till that moment. 

"What are you doing lying around?" Allura's voice filled the air as you turned, giving the Altean princess your attention. "You're supposed to be training!"

"Just resting a bit," You answered, taking another swig.

"You know, you can't push too hard," Coran added. 

"What do you mean 'can't push too hard'?!" Allura huffed. "Get up, you lazy lumps! It's time you faced the Gladiator!" 

...

You found yourself in the training deck once more. This time you were permitted to use your bayard. You could see the others activate theirs.

Keith had gotten a sword, one that you had already seen in use when the two of you fought off Galra sentries. Lance had a laser gun, while Hunk had a heavy looking cannon. Pidge gripped his smaller weapon, it resembled a thick arrow with green electricity crackling over it. Then there was yours, which was a solid white chain with a sickle on the end. You were glad your weapon was able to be used as both long distance and short distance, it left you with a flexible fighting style. However, Shiro lacked a bayard. You looked at him, unsure of what he would use to defend himself.

"In order to defeat the Gladiator, six Paladins must fight as one," Coran's voice crackled over the intercom. 

A hole opened up above Hunk, causing him to back up with a surprised yelp. A yellow, black, and white robotic figure dropped from the opening, shifting into a battle stance. 

The Gladiator looked up, its single blue eye flashing. It lunged at Hunk, who tensed with surprise. "Woah!" He actived his weapon, powerful beams firing haphazardly as he hefted it into the air.

The Gladiator jumped over the attack, making its way quickly to Hunk's other side. Meanwhile, Hunk's cannon gun was now firing at Keith. With a grunt, Keith activated his shield, stopping the yellow beams from hitting him.

The Gladiator swept Hunk off his feet, pushing down the staff it held in its hand on the fallen Paladin. The Yellow Paladin yelped with pain as electricity crackled over his armor.

You hurried to Hunk's defense, swinging your chained sickle towards the Gladiator. It caught your sickle on its staff, pulling you towards it. You twisted yourself with cat like reflexes, yanking your weapon back and landing behind the Gladiator instead. It swung its staff where you had been moments ago. 

You attacked it from behind just as Pidge charged its front. The Gladiator held its staff horizontally, spinning it in a circular motion so it nailed both Pidge and you in the stomach. With a hiss you were sent flying back. You managed to stay upright while your hand covered your stomach. You gritted your teeth with slight pain.

Pidge was assaulted relentlessly once you were out of the way. After blocking several hits he was struck, sending him tumbling across the ground and onto Hunk.

Lance ran behind his fallen comrades, firing his weapon while he protected them. The Gladiator headed towards him, blocking his shots skillfully with its staff. You swung your sickle foward to assist Lance, the chain growing in length the farther it had to go, but the Gladiator jumped over the attack with ease. It ran up to Lance and began to swipe at him swiftly. The Blue Paladin was barely blocking the Gladiator's blows. Shiro and Keith appeared along the sidelines, beginning to flank the Gladiator. You shifted behind it, planning to attack your robotic opponent with your remaining teammates.

The Gladiator managed to knock Lance's gun from his hands, sending it sliding across the room. It then brought its staff down on his helmet, painfully. It spun the other way in mere ticks, swinging its staff into Keith's sword. After knocking Keith back with two quick hits it faced Lance again, shoving the staff into his stomach and swinging him into Keith. The two Paladins were down for the count, groaning in pain.

You jumped back as it swung towards you. You ducked another swipe and made your way over to Shiro, standing beside him with your sickle gripped tightly. Now it was just the two of you versus the Gladiator.

It was then Shiro's arm began to glow purple. The Black Paladin rushed past you, his robotic arm raised to attack the Gladiator.

You had frozen, staring at his arm with wide eyes. It was similar to Sendak's in a way. You took a step back, feeling phantom pains of the Galra Commander's electric limb passing over you. 

As the Gladiator ran at Shiro he also froze. Sweat ran down his forehead as he gasped, taking a step back. 

Keith got in front of the Gladiator, blocking its devastating blow with his sword. "Shiro, (Y/N), are you okay?" He grunted with the effort of keeping the Gladiator back. 

It then swept its staff low, knocking Keith off his feet once more. It shoved its staff into his chest, sending the Red Paladin crashing into Shiro.

Afterwards, it turned to you. Your eyes were locked onto Shiro's arm still, your weapon hanging limply by your side. The Gladiator charged, bringing its staff down upon your side and smacking you to the floor.

You hit the ground with a gasp of pain. The Gladiator surveyed the room. Then it shut down. 

Allura walked in behind it, disappointment spread across her features. "That combat simulator was set at a level fit for an Altean child!" She placed her hands on her hips. "You're not even close to working as a team, let alone ready to face Zarkon!" 

You were barely focusing as you felt another gaze upon you. You glanced to the side, surprised to see Shiro looking at you with a questioning glance. 

He looked at Allura and back to you, mouthing one word.

"Later."

...

"I've whipped up a big batch of focusing food!" Coran chirped. "After this meal, you'll be forming Voltron six times a movement and twice on the astral conflux!"

The eight of you, including Coran and Allura, were in a dining area. You were seated between Pidge and Keith, looking down at the food with stars in your eyes. You were starving.

"Smells great, Coran. Thanks," Shiro said, a hesitant expression crossing over his features while he looked over the alien cuisine. 

You began to reach for your utensils when Coran pulled out a remote control, pressing a button quickly. You found your arms stuck to Keith and Pidge's, making you let out a startled cry. "Coran, what the Quiznak?"

"Hold the phone!" Lance yelled.

"I saw a lot of solid individual performances today, but you're still struggling to work as a team," Coran stated. "So, welcome to the final bonding excercise of the day."

Keith pulled his arm back to himself, causing your binds to reattach to his. You were pulled toward the Red Paladin, dragging poor Pidge along as well. 

"Coran, I want you to think about what you're doing," Hunk said threateningly. 

"This one's a classic," Coran said. "You get to feed eachother, like a pack of yalmors!"

Hunk tried to eat, but his arm was shifted and he hit himself. "Ow!" He glared at Lance.

"Sorry," Lance said sheepishly.

Once more, Hunk went to scoop his food, but accidently licked Lance's hand.

"Ew!" The Blue Paladin cried.

He yanked his arm to the side, making Keith's hand fall into his food. It also yanked you to the side, your head falling into Keith's dish with a string of Galran curses. Since you were yanked to the side so was poor Pidge, who found himself uncomfortably smushed against you and the table. 

"Oh nice, Keith!" Lance huffed. "You defiled my food goo, and look what you did to (Y/N)!"

"It's your fault!" Keith snapped. "This is ridiculous."

"It's both your faults!" You growled, lifting your head with food goo coating your face.

"Do Earthlings ever stop complaining?" Allura grumbled as she tried to eat in peace. "And I'd thought Galras had better sense than to agrue." 

You were about to say something rather vile when Shiro turned to Allura, "Can't you give us a break? Everyone's been working really hard today."

"Yeah!" Keith stood up, glaring at Allura. "We're not some prisoners for you to toy with, like... like..." Keith trailed off.

"Like a bunch of toy prisoners!" Lance yelled.

"Yes! Thank you, Lance!" Keith answered.

"You do not yell at the Princess!" Coran leaned forward, yelling back.

"Oh, the princess of what?!" Pidge snapped back. 

"We're the only ones out here," You added with a harsh glare.

"And she's no princess of ours!" Pidge finished.

The sound of food whizzing through the air caught your ears. You recoiled back as your face became covered once more. You wiped the flung food away from your eyes, seeing that Pidge had suffered the same fate.

Allura was standing up, glaring at the both of you. She was still in the stance she had fired the food goo in.

It was silent for a few moments before Keith grabbed a bowl of the green glop. "Go loose, Pidge! Get 'em, (Y/N)!" He flung the bowl at Allura, but Coran got in the way, blocking it with the table cloth. He than swung a ladle, sending food goo splattering over the other Paladins and you once more.

"Oh, it's on now," Hunk said with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He shoved his face into a bowl, inhaling it with vigor. Then he lifted his head, squeezing his cheeks and sending a stream of goo at the Alteans. 

A food fight soon ensued. Projectile food was exchanged back and fourth between the Paladins and Alteans. You had admittedly flung a few morsels at Lance as pay back for earlier, but no one really noticed. It was becoming rather fun!

Eventually, the battle came to an end. Allura took a seat in the food coated room with a tired sigh. You glanced at the other Paladins before bursting into laughter with them. 

"Enough!" Allura said loudly, silencing the laughter. "Do you see what you're doing?" She lifted her head, a smile on her face. "You're finally working together as one!"

"Hey," Keith said, a grin on his face too, "She's right!" 

"I actually don't hate you right now," Lance added cheerfully.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Hunk asked.

"Let's go form Voltron!" Shiro said as you answered, "Seconds!"

Everyone looked at you as you shifted akwardly. "What? We never did get to eat."

Hunk rubbed the back of his head, "Actually, (Y/N) was close. I was thinking dessert. But yeah, let's do it!"

Hunk lifted his arms excitedly, catching the other Paladins and you off guard. You tumbled to the floor in a heap while Allura chuckled. 

...

After many unnecessary obstacles, which included a zip line and a small vechile, you entered your Lion. It started up with a quiet rumble.

"Everyone ready to do this?" Shiro's voice asked through your helmet.

"Roger that!" Pidge answered.

"It's on!" Lance cheered.

"Yes, sir!" Keith replied.

"I was born ready!" Hunk said confidently.

"Yeah," You stated, your voice muffled by food you had swiped. You were serious about being hungry.

"(Y/N)," Shiro sighed as the others laughed. "Oh well, let's do it guys!"

"Yeah!" You all echoed back.

White roared, launching herself from the castle. You steered her over to the others as they began to form Voltron. 

You watched in awe as the Lions changed form, soon becoming the Legendary Defender. After a few ticks Voltron landed in front of the two Alteans, your Lion hovering behind it.

Allura smiled, "I told you I could get them to do it. They just needed a common enemy."

"Yes, but what about the White Lion?" Coran questioned.

"I'm sure (Y/N) can form her part when the time comes," Allura replied, her eyes shining with pride. "The White Lion will guide her."

"I suppose that makes sense. But as for Voltron, it's true! Like the old proverb says, 'A man can be driven to do anything, if a beautiful woman is just really, really mean to him'." Coran said cheerfully.

Allura sweatdropped in return.

...

"Man, that was cool!" Lance said, his fist in the air with excitement. "I'm so charged up, I don't if I'm going to be able to sleep tonight!"

"Not me. When my head hits the pillow, I'm going to be lights out," Keith replied.

Hunk climbed onto the couch between the two Paladins, smiling all the while. "I just want you to know that I realized when we were in Voltron, we're brothers, man!" Hunk then proceeded to crush the Red and Blue Paladins in a hug. "You know?  Like, we're totally connected. No secrets, no barriers, no nothing. Brothers all the way. I love you guys."

You smiled lazily from your spot on the ground. One of the Altean mice was sitting on your head, the others accepting attention from Pidge on the couch.

"G-forces mess with your head a little bit?" Keith asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, maybe a little. I don't know. It's been a tough few days," Hunk rambled.

The team soon began to disperse. Shiro turned around to face Pidge and you, noticing that neither of you had moved. "Going to bed you two?" He asked.

"In a minute," Pidge answered. You waved your hand in reply, not keen on getting up. 

"Good work today," Shiro said, looking around the room as the other Paladins left. "We're really coming together." He then turned, exitting the room too.

That left just Pidge and you. You looked up from your spot on the ground, only to see Pidge holding a picture frame in his grip. He was frowning down at it. You could guess what he was looking at.

"Don't worry Pidge," You sat up, your hand on his knee since you couldn't reach his shoulder from your position. "We'll find them."

Pidge looked at you with a half smile, sadness in his caramel brown eyes, "Yeah... together."


	8. Haunting Memories

It was a varga or two before you had to officially be up for training. You wouldn't usually be up at this time, but a quiet creak alerted you that someone was approaching.

You jolted upright, ears perked and yellow eyes gleaming in the direction of the noise. Beside you, Pidge continued to sleep, his laptop on his chest as he snored softly. The two of you had spent a majority of the night researching yet again. No wonder you slept in so late.

After what seemed like forever a figure entered the lounge area. They noticed you immediately, looking a bit surprised to see your dimly glowing orbs in the darkness. Their gaze then traveled to Pidge, sprawled across the couch with his arm hanging limply over the edge and a leg drooping off. They stifled a sigh and whispered in a fatherly tone, "(Y/N), Pidge and you really must be getting more sleep."

You relaxed at the soft scolding, knowing exactly who it was. Waving your hand dismissively you gave a small smile, "I know, but you also know why we can't, Shiro."

Shiro shook his head and walked into the room, heading over to the couch. He threw the blanket he had draped over his shoulder onto Pidge, shifting the Green Paladin into a more comfortable position.  
"I suppose it's a good thing you're up. I still need to speak with you," Shiro said quietly, gesturing for you to follow him from the room so you wouldn't wake Pidge.

You obliged, trailing after the Black Paladin. "About what?" You asked once you were out of the room. 

"What happened with the Gladiator," Shiro answered, coming to a stop as you reached the control room. It was empty, minus the Altean mice that were watching the Black Paladin and you through small, beady eyes.

You turned to Shiro, opening and closing your mouth several times as you struggled to voice how you were feeling about that entire situation. You had been trying to forget it, as it brought back bad memories.

He stood patiently, looking out of a window and observing the peaceful beauty that was planet Arus.

"I know you were a prisoner too," You blurted out rather dumbly. You shut your mouth quickly once he turned to face you, beginning to play with your ears nervously.

"That's true, though I wouldn't say it was a secret," Shiro mused. He could see how tense you were as he spoke in a light tone. Perhaps that would help calm you.

"I know, I know... It's just your arm," You trailed off, glancing at the floor.

"I hate it," Shiro stated. 

You looked up once more, head cocked with curiousity. The Black Paladin was facing away from you once more. Instead, he was looking at the night scenery, where a sunrise was just beginning. "I hate this prosthetic arm. It came from the Galra. Everytime I look at it I feel sick. No offense, (Y/N), but it reminds me of how barbaric the Galra Empire can be."

You were baffled. Shiro was speaking so honestly, showing how much he trusted you. He even considered your feelings before his own. Sure, the other Paladins liked you, but you had the feeling they were still weary due to your heritage. Even Pidge, who you had formed the deepest bond with, didn't seem to trust you as much as Shiro was now. He was pouring his insecurities to you, and you felt it was only fair to do the same.

"I get it," You said, staring at your own arm. "I was supposed to be expiremented on too. You guys saved me before that, thankfully, but I've expirenced what these things can do first hand."

Shiro looked down at you, since he was much taller. He looked apologetic, but before he could speak, you continued. "It wasn't your fault, don't apologize. I stopped when I saw your arm activate because of my expirence. Sendak is a cruel Commander, not one to deter from torture," You spoke, staring at the sky that was painted with reds and oranges. There was little thought to your words. "His arm, it's electrical. He would shock me when I didn't speak, when I wouldn't fight in the arena, when I displeased him. You get it, right? You are The Champion, after all."

Shrio looked confused at the title, nodding nonetheless. "I do."

"When I saw your arm activate, I swore I felt his electricity again," Your throat clenched, voice a bit higher from the stress of voicing these unsavory memories. "I thought... Maybe this was a dream. Voltron never returned. I never became the White Paladin. I was alone, at the mercy of the Galra Empire."

"(Y/N)," Shiro said quietly, urging you to look at him. "This is no dream. You're here, with us. You're safe, and I promise, this arm will never be raised against you."

You looked up at him, tears gathering at the edge of your eyes. With a strangled cry you threw yourself at Shiro, arms around the Black Paladin's waist as you sobbed.

He allowed you to hug him, returning it with the gentleness of someone who truly cared about you. He was like a dad, so concerned and protective. It made you weep harder as it reminded you of your own father. 

The two of you sat in silence, you clinging onto him for comfort which he gave without question. Eventually, the strain from little sleep and crying your heart out became too much. Shiro noticed your hold went limp and looked down, but by then you had already succumbed to darkness.

...

Quiet knocking on your door awakened you once more. You looked around in panic, before realizing you were safe and sound in your room. Your head pounded terribly.

The door slid open and Pidge poked his head in. He was about to say something when he noticed your disheveled fur and drooping posture. "You look terrible," He stated. "Are you feeling better? Shiro said you weren't feeling well enough for training today so he sent you back to your room."

You rubbed your eyes, attempting to wake yourself up further. "Yeah, I'm fine now." You didn't feel fine. The headache had dulled, but you still felt exhausted.

"Well, clean yourself up then," Pidge wasn't able to hide the tiny bit of excitement that leaked through his voice. "I'm going to check on the prisoners, your friends. I thought you'd like to come." 

You perked up at the thought of seeing Elder and the others again. "I'll meet you there, Pidge," You replied. The Green Paladin nodded, disappearing from your doorway as you headed into your bathroom.

You untangled your fur and cleaned yourself up a bit before looking in the mirror once more. You looked much more awake and normal now. 

Stretching your arms out you headed from your room and towards the cryogenic chambers. Upon entering you saw not only Pidge, but Shiro too.  
He gave you a small smile, glad to see you were feeling better as you returned it. 

One of the cryogenic chambers began to open, catching your attention instead. Elder was released, his slender form shivering from the freezing sleep before he let out a breath of cloudy air. 

"Elder!" You lunged at him, hugging him tightly. 

Elder breathed deeply, letting out a tired chuckle. He still wasn't fully awake from his rest, but he returned your embrace. "(Y/N)," He looked around, "Where are we?"

All around you cryoreplenishers began to open. Your eyes sparkled with happiness, watching as one by one your friends awakened. "We're in the Castle of Lions!"

You didn't even notice Pidge and Shiro had disappeared till they returned with blankets and warm drinks. You grabbed a blanket, draping it around Elder and urging him to sit down. He obeyed, taking a seat while you sat down beside him.

Shiro distrubuted blankets amongst your fellow ex-prisoners while Pidge handed out drinks. Afterwards, Pidge turned to Elder, finding you wiggling his long fingers with a child like air around you. You looked so happy he couldn't help but to smile. "So, how long were you held captive by Zarkon?" He asked Elder.

"Some for years. Decades, maybe," Elder answered, taking a sip of his drink. He was lucky he had four arms, because you were holding onto one and another was patting your head fondly. "It's hard to tell. Time becomes a blur," He took another sip while you stared at him, ears drooping at the way he spoke.

"Then you must have been there when my dad and brother arrived," Pidge exclaimed. "Sam and Matt Holt?"

"I never knew their names," Elder said softly, "But I certainly remember the other two Earthlings that arrived with Champion."

"Champion," Shiro repeated the title, confusion once again crossing his features. "Why do (Y/N) and you keep calling me that?"

"You really don't remember?" Elder asked, surprised. "Unbelievable!"

"Elder told me about you, though I didn't know your name at the time. He said you were a legendary gladiator. You were undefeated in the ring," You explained. " I was imprisoned after you managed to escape."

"You defeated an infamous Galra gladiator known as Myzax," Elder continued where you left off. "That was the day you earned the name, Champion. I was there, as was the young Earthling. We were all prisoners, forced to fight for the entertainment of Zarkon. That day, we were set to fight Myzax, a vile beast many thought couldn't be defeated. Slaughter awaited us all. This 'Matt' was the first of us sent to fight."

You all listened in silence, Pidge looking hopeful up until the final sentence. He looked terrified for Matt's safety.

"But fate had other plans. You were so thirsty for blood, you injured your fellow Earthling," Elder finished, his voice trailing off at the end. 

The air of the room immediately turned thick with tension. Pidge whirled on Shiro, his fists clenched, "You attacked my brother?! Why?!" 

Shiro's stunned expression morphed into one of regret. "No, it can't be true," He said, but his expression betrayed his nerves. 

"I was there," Elder confirmed it once more, "Everyone but (Y/N) was."

"After my brother was injured, where was he taken?" Pidge asked, still glaring at Shiro.

"I know not," Elder bowed his head apologetically.

"I don't believe it." Shiro's eyebrows furrowed, "There's got to be more to the story. I- I couldn't have hurt my friend." His eyes widened with realization, turning to face Pidge. "Wait! That ship we were held captive on crash-landed on this planet. They'll have logs of prisoners, some information." He bolted from the room afterwards.

"I'm coming with you!" Pidge got to his feet, racing after Shiro. 

You watched the two of them go unsurely from your spot beside Elder. 

The taller alien glanced down at you. "Aren't you going with your friends? The information might be written in Galran."

"Oh," You glanced up hesitantly. "Will you all be okay? I don't want to leave you alone." Elder ruffled your hair. The friendly action was enough to make you smile.

"Don't worry about us, (Y/N). We're safe here," Elder chuckled. "But you better hurry, before you're left behind."

You shot to your feet, thanking Elder as you ran from the room. "Hey, wait for me!"


	9. Rise of the Robeast

White landed near the crashed ship, settling down beside the other two Lions. You scambled from her control room, heading towards the wreckage just as Pidge and Shiro entered it. You followed soon after. 

You had to activate your boosters, seeing as how the hole you entered through was several times your length from the ground. You touched down beside Pidge as he began to speak, "This looks like the master control board, but there's no power." 

"All you need is power?" Shiro questioned.

"Yeah, but one that's compatible with Galra tech," Pidge replied.

Shiro looked at his arm, then at you. You nodded, seeing that there was no other way. He activated his arm, placing it on the control panel. However, it remained off.

Pidge began to look distressed, "It's not working! How will we get the information?"

"Hold on a tick," You said, heading over to the control panels side. You bent down, using your claws to unscrew the box on its side. Once the box was removed you were able to see several wires were hanging, unhooked, from their proper position. "The crash knocked some of the wires loose. I'll get it fixed," You relayed to the other two Paladins. With quick and precise movements you crossed and connected wires to their proper positions. You reattached the box afterwards, hearing a quiet hum from inside. You patted the control panel as you stood up, "Try again, Shiro."

The Black Paladin once again placed his activated arm on the panel. This time it started up, red screens popping into existance. 

"I can't believe you two got this to work," Pidge said in awe. He looked over the screens, activating one of his own. "My dad's and Matt's whereabouts must be logged in here somewhere. Once I download this information, I'll find some way to decode it back at the Castle."

Meanwhile, you were scrolling through the red panels. If both of you collected information you were sure it would reveal your families' locations in no time. You swiped to another panel, before you stiffened with surprise. "Dad!" You whispered. A picture of him had popped up. You hadn't even thought that this was the ship he worked on before his disappearance! 

You were so focused on the picture you didn't even notice the sound of approaching danger. Shiro did, however. "Oh no," He muttered.

"What is it?" Pidge questioned, still absorbed with his panel.

"Something just entered the atmosphere," Shiro answered, looking back down to Pidge. "I'm not sure what it is, but it's big, it's Galra, and it's coming right for us. We gotta go." He lifted his hand, but Pidge pushed it back down. 

"Shiro, don't move," Pidge demanded. 

"Please, Shiro," You added, hurriedly typing across the red panel. It was coded, which luckily was your speciality. Still, it would take time to crack it.

"I'm only 15 percent done. I'm not going anywhere," Pidge narrowed his eyes seriously.

Shiro looked up, his teeth grit as he mentally debated with himself. "I'm sorry!" 

You felt yourself getting picked up and you struggled, reaching for the panel. "No, wait!" You yelled. "The information! My father's information is here! Please, Shiro!"

"No!" Pidge yelled, struggling in his grip.

Shiro had activated his boosters, launching himself into the air. He managed to keep Pidge and you in his arms while he made his way out of the ship. The two of you struggled all the while. "Team, come in!" Shiro called into his helmet. "We need back up!"

"No! Shiro, let me go! My father! (Y/N)'s father! Don't you care?!"  Pidge kept struggling against Shiro. You were hanging limp, just now realizing how close the approaching ship was. It still didn't make you feel any less upset, however.

"Huh?" Shiro had gripped the two of you tighter, looking up at the firey object that was coming into orbit. It was getting closer, becoming faster and much more dangerous. "RUN!"

You stumbled at Shiro's call, running beside Pidge and him. The sound of the ship falling became high pitched, your ears ringing at the noise. Behind the three of you the ship crashed into the wreckage, a devastating explosion occurring moments later. The blast began to get closer to the three of you.

Shiro released Pidge and you, yelling as you tried to escape the blast. You activated your boosters, flying beside them. 

You lost control. You hadn't used them as much as the other Paladins since you had joined them later, and now you were paying the price. You could feel flames licking at your skin, not yet close enough to burn you, but enough to let you feel the intense heat. 

Your voice rose with panic. Through the smoke you swore you could see the Green and Black Lions moving without their Paladins. 

It was then the White Lion obscured your vision. You found yourself staring desperately at the yellow eyes, so much like your own. There was a small spark in them as White parted her jaws, catching you safetly in her grasp. You felt the explosion tremors shake your Lion, but you were fine.

Your ears flicked as a panicked voice came from the helmet. "(Y/N)! (Y/N), are you okay?!" You heard Pidge calling.

Shiro's calmer, but still nervous voice answered him, "I don't see her, but look, her Lion moved closer to the wreckage."

"I'm alright, guys," You spoke into your helmet, hearing two heavy sighs of relief. "White protected me." You heard a quiet, robotic purr from White as you said that. You smiled, patting the wall. "Thanks again, White."

"Our Lions saved us too," Shiro reported before his connection was covered by Pidge's. "Uh, Shiro!"

"Pidge, what's going on? I'm coming," You had got to your feet, prepared to help the other two Paladins.

"No!" Pidge's voice made you halt immediately. "Stay in your Lion," He added. "This thing is huge."

"Got it, I'll cover you guys for now," You said, rushing into the control room. You took a seat, White roaring as soon as you touched her controls, launching herself into the air. It was lucky she did, because a ball of disastrous energy hit where she had been moments later. A crater was left behind, dust thrown up by its immense power.

You manuevered White to face the Galra creation, the mechanical feline letting out a barely audible growl.

The being was robotic, but moved like it was alive. It was a deep purple, connected with black and silver parts. One of its arms had a cannon look to it, where the destructive energy ball was floating. Pink shined through different areas, power seeming to radiate from it. A tube on its back looked to store more of the pink energy. You had a feeling you knew what the pink power was. It's glowing, yellow eye looked too life like to be a machine's, unlike the other purple eye it had. It shifted, launching its weapon towards the Green and Black Lions.

You placed White in front them, firing her beams. The ball split right through it much to your surprise, and with great force White was nailed in the chest.

The White Lion flew backwards, temporarily unable to steer. By this time Pidge and Shiro had activated their Lions. The Black Lion flew behind White, stopping her descent and allowing you to regain control.

"Thanks, Shiro!" You said, fur prickling with the seriousness of the situation. 

It flung its orb once more, this time towards the Green Lion. It managed to dodge the attack as the weapon slammed into the side of a rock structure, shattering it. Once more it flung the electric ball, the Green Lion firing its beams to stop it. However, much like what happened to White, it cut through the attack easily. 

The Green Lion was nailed in the head, beginning to fall. You activated your Lion's boosters, flying her quickly under the Green Lion. Instead of hitting the ground, Pidge's Lion landed on your Lion's back. The sheer weight and speed of the robotic feline was enough to send the White Lion back by several feet, her shining, silver claws leaving a trail in the dirt. 

Taking advantage of the fact the two of you couldn't attack at that moment, the robotic threat charged. The Black Lion ran up behind it, pouncing on its back and distracting it from Pidge and you. 

It reached up, grabbing the Black Lion and flinging it from its body. It then began to stomp towards your grounded leader. Its approach was short lived as lasers flew at it, making your opponent recoil. 

"Lay down some covering fire so they can get out of there!" Keith ordered through the communication link as the Red Lion entered your line of sight. It began to fire a blue energy beam from its mouth.

"I'm on it!" Lance replied, the Blue Lion beginning to fire lasers from its tail. 

The rapid assault caused your attacker to step back, but it was otherwise fine.

"Check this out!" Hunk's voice was raised with the heat of the moment. The Yellow Lion raced into view, bowing its head as it ran. "Battle-Lion Headbutt!" He yelled, his Lion slamming head first into the hulking beast.

The Galra creation was sent falling to its knees as Keith's voice crackled through your helmet, "You guys okay down there?"

"Still alive for now," Shiro answered, the Black Lion getting to its feet and flying into the air.

The weight on your Lion lightened as Pidge was able to gain control of the Green Lion. It flew into the air as well, White following its lead.

You hovered your Lion beside the other five as the monster began to get to its feet once more.

"Are the Galra behind this?" Hunk questioned out loud.

"I think so, but I've never seen anything like it," Shiro answered.

"It's called a Robeast," You answered, your eyes locked onto its movements.

"How do we defeat it?" Pidge asked, causing you to huff with frustration.

"I don't know, this is a new one!" You steered the White Lion as the energy orb flew towards the six of you. Your Lions split up, once more forming a line when the attack failed. 

"So, what's the plan?" Lance's voice was unusually serious. "Shoot at it with everything we've got? Take out its weapon? Call it names?" Never mind, same old Lance. 

"If we want to take this monster down, there's only one way to do it," Shiro replied, his voice determined. 

Beside you the other five Lions roared, each glowing their respective colors. They began to fly higher into the air, getting closer and closer together.

"Form Voltron!"


	10. One Will Stand

Voltron landed in front of the Robeast, the Defender of the Universe standing taller by only a couple meters.

"Remember, we are one unit fighting with one goal," Shiro spoke. The reminder was clear enough, watch out for eachother.

The Robeast lifted its arm, the same energy weapon as before forming in its grasp. 

Voltron readied itself, launching towards the Robeast moments afterwards. 

At the same time the Galra creation pulled its arm back, flinging the energy ball at Voltron. The orb missed as Voltron manuevered its way around the threat, but it headed your way instead.

Knowing already that the attack couldn't be halted by your Lion's weapon you had White dive lower to the ground, dodging it.

Voltron pulled its arm back, preparing to attack. When it let its punch fly, however, the Robeast caught the taller robots fist in its own. 

Voltron's free arm decked the Robeast in the face while it was occupied with the Red Lion arm. It stumbled back, another cloud of dust thrown into the sky. 

Voltron then jumped into the air, slamming down on top of the Robeast. As it held the robotic opponent down you fired your Lion's tail beams. The Robeast harshly shoved Voltron, placing it in the way of your attack. You immediatly stopped once your teammates were being used as a shield. 

The Robeast held Voltron down with it, the two in a battle for the upper hand. When the Robeasts cannon began whirling you put two and two together.

"Look out!" You piloted the White Lion behind Voltron, firing her beams. You knew the attack would fail, but you still had to try. The energy ball had flown into the air, heading straight for Voltron. You kept firing the beams, but it had no affect. 

The Robeast pulled away from Voltron with surprising speed just as the energy ball spiraled towards you. You twisted the White Lion around, trying to dodge the attack, but it was too fast. It hit not only you, but carried you painfully into Voltron.

Voltron was crushed against the ground, your Lion on top. Once more your assailant's weapon headed for your teammates and you.

You activated your boosters, flying one way while Voltron was forced with uncoordinated movements to go in the other direction. The energy ball chased down Voltron.

You flew higher, before sending White diving to the ground to assist the others. 

Unfortunately, the Robeast got in your way, and it packed a powerful punch. It's metallic arm met White's side in a violent crash of metal, sending your Lion sliding across the dirt. You grunted, hanging on tightly to the controls. The impact was enough to make you feel the tremors of the attack.

"I thought Voltron was the most powerful weapon in the universe!" Keith huffed, Voltron continuing to run from the pursuing sphere.

"Yeah, so how's this monster kicking our butts?!" Hunk yelled, Voltron barely dodging the energy ball.

The Robeast ran over to your fallen Lion, its heavy body shaking the ground. It drove its fist into White once more, before manuevering the energy ball to chase Voltron closer. While Voltron was focusing on the electrical sphere the Robeast left your Lion, delivering a powerful punch to the Defender of the Universe.

White was able to take to the air as Voltron crash-landed near a small village. "Oh no, the village! We have to protect those people!" Shiro's voice yelled.

The Robeast began to charge Voltron, but the White Lion got in its way. It roared, its right side covered in dust from being pounded into the ground.

Unable to get close enough to Voltron it flung its energy sphere, Voltron catching the attack and hovering above the village. "That was close!" Shiro gasped. 

Meanwhile, you were dealing with the Robeast. You fired beams from White's mouth, though you knew it wouldn't work. You had White hover out of the Robeast's reach as it made a grab for your Lion.

Voltron flew past, and you could hear Hunk speak through the communication link, "(Y/N), follow us!"

"There's an Arusian village just over the rim of that cliff," Keith added.

"Got it," You replied, White making a sharp U turn and flying after Voltron. 

The Robeast retrieved its energy ball, stomping after Voltron and you. 

"We got him away from the Arusians, but we can't take him down!" Pidge pointed out.

"I got it! I'm going to power-kick that orb thing!" Lance said.

"No! The last time you did a kick, we fell!" Shiro stated. Voltron had landed, turning and shooting towards the Robeast again.

"Stop living in the past!" Lance yelled. Voltron flew into the air, the Blue Lion facing outwards as it began its power kick. At the same time the Robeast flung its energy ball, the two attacks getting closer.

The orb completely missed the Blue Lion. "Oh no," Lance yelped. The orb nailed Voltron in the face, sending it tumbling to the ground. 

You positioned the White Lion in front of Voltron, distracting the Robeast from the rest of Team Voltron. 

"Pidge, while (Y/N) got it distracted, fire the lasers!" Shiro ordered.

"Got it! Fire!" Voltron straightened up, blue energy gathering at the Green Lion's month. Instead, Voltron's wings detached and formed a shield in front of the Green Lion. "Oops!"

"No! Lasers! Lasers!" Shiro repeated. 

You could hear Pidge typing furiously to fix his mistake.

"I can't keep this up much longer, g-!" You were cut off as the Robeast delivered another powerful punch to your Lion. You were sent flying into Voltron. Immediately afterwards the energy orb collided with Voltron and you, flipping the Legendary Defender on top of your Lion. Voltron got up with some difficulty, allowing your Lion to shift from underneath it and stand by its side.

"Every time we focus on that orb, we're blindsided by the monster, and every time we focus on the monster, the orb hits us!" Hunk pointed out.

"Then what do we do?!" Lance yelled. 

"Orb!" Hunk shrieked, the weapon in question flying into Voltron and sending it crashing against a rock wall.

You had the White Lion stand in front of Voltron yet again. Why was it that the Green Lion had a shield on its back when you were the one taking the most hits for Voltron?

Voltron stayed limp as Keith spoke up, "Shiro, we gotta move! Shiro, are you there? Shiro!"

"That sound," Shiro whispered. "I recognize this monster from my time in Zarkon's prison. I know how to beat him!"

The Robeast managed to get a grip on you, flinging the White Lion towards Voltron. You yelled, expecting to crash into your team yet again, but it seemed they learned this pattern. Instead, the Red Lion caught you, straightening you out as the Robeast approached for another attack. 

At the last moment Voltron flew into the air, dodging the Robeast's attack. The Red Lion released your Lion, allowing you to hover beside Voltron yet again as it landed, facing the Robeast.

"Thanks Keith!" You gasped, hearing an acknowledging sound from the Paladin in question.

"Listen, there's a loud sound when the orb returns to the base of the weapon, and every third time, that orb needs to charge up," Shiro explained, Voltron in a defensive stance. "That's this monster's weakest point. That's when we strike." 

"Okay, so what do we do in the meantime?" Hunk questioned hurriedly. 

"Defense!" Shiro answered as the Robeast flung its orb once more. "Pidge, we need that shield! (Y/N), stay behind us! We need you to attack as soon as the last strike hits us!"

You positioned the White Lion behind Voltron, weapons ready at Shiro's call.

The Green Lion lifted the shield, the orb hitting it harshly. "That's one! Two more to go!" Shiro stated. 

Once more, the Robeast flung its orb at Voltron. It managed to block the second hit with the shield, this time being forced several steps back.

"We can't take much more!" Hunk yelled.

"Last one!" Shiro yelled. "Everyone brace for impact!" 

The Robeast sent its orb flying at Voltron. It smashed into the shield, sending the two pieces falling to the ground and out of Voltron's reach. 

"Now!" Shiro ordered.

White shot out from behind Voltron, firing her beams at the Robeast rapidly. The Red Lion lifted itself, also firing a strong laser moments afterwards, the two attacks combining and making the move more powerful.

It hit the Robeast, causing a small explosion. Everything seemed to freeze as your gaze locked to the smoke. The Robeast stood from the dust, looking as if it hadn't been damaged at all.

"It didn't work!" Pidge cried.

"So, now what?!" Lance questioned. 

"White?" You stated to your Lion, drowning out the others words. "Are you able to take another hit?"

Your Lion growled quietly, a determined feeling flooding through you.

As the orb was flung towards Voltron once more the White Lion blocked it. You took the hit instead, your Lion twisting through the air and sliding across the ground. White came to a stop, laying motionless.

"(Y/N)!" Various calls yelled as you began to activate the controls. You needed your Lion up, Team Voltron needed you right now. White was telling you this.

An image of Shiro appeared on your Lions screens. "(Y/N), stay down," Shiro ordered. "We'll protect you, the White Lion has been taking too many hits."

"No can do, Shiro," You answered, relieved when the White Lion's eyes flashed yellow and she got to her paws once again. "My Lion agrees. You need us right now. We're six fighting as one, remember?" You shut off the screen before Shiro could potentially agrue. 

It was silent for a tick before you heard him speak through the communication link, "When I attacked him before, I had a sword!" 

You grinned, Shiro had accepted your help once more. It was then the White Lion began to glow slightly around you, making you gasp. A quiet rumble began, images being fed into your mind at a rapid pace. You were faintly aware of the outside world, but right now the White Lion was speaking to you.

"Orb! Orb!" Hunk yelped, the energy sphere once more crashing into Voltron.

"We can't take another shot like that!" Pidge yelled.

You watched with surprise as a new device began to rise from your Lion's control panel. She growled softly, bringing you back to reality.

"Wait a second, guys! I think my Lion's telling me what to do!" Keith's voice crackled over the link.

"Same here. White wants me to do something," You added, wondering what both of your Lions wanted.

"Whatever it is, hurry up and do it!" Lance yelped. "He's about to fire his third shot!"

The orb crashed into Voltron, sending it skidding backwards. Meanwhile, the Robeast charged at the White Lion, delivering another strike that sent her sliding back to Voltron.

Your Lion rumbled once more as she stood up. The device caught your attention again, and you grabbed your bayard.  Energy seemed to course through you as you yelled, fur standing on end with the power surging throughout your Lion. You shoved your bayard into the device, twisting it. It was like something inside your Lion was unlocked. A stream of energy burst fourth, your Lion flying into the air and roaring.

Her form began to change. The White Lion's legs folded into her body, her tail curling into several rectangular shaped coils. She tucked her head into her body, jaws shut tight. Several different panels appeared on your Lion, glowing brightly. They shifted and changed size, making your Lion become thinner and longer. Her tail formed a handle, while the rest of her body had become a sharp blade. Voltron held up its arms, the White Lion flying in between the Green and Red Lions. When the three Lions touched a blinding white light shined from your Lion.

Inside, the walls began to become streaked with red, remaiming white in other places. The red lines overran White's control panel, causing your Lion to glow red on the outside.

Voltron held up the White Lion, her new form cutting through the Robeast with ease.

The Robeast sank to its feet, purple electricity crackling around it before it disappeared in a large scale explosion.

Voltron swung your Lion expirementally around several times before the others began to cheer, "Yeah! We did it!" 

You remained silent, looking around the White Lion with awe. The insides were still streaked with red, and on the outside your Lion resembled Keith's bayard weapon, a red and white sword. "I'm Voltron's sword," You said, eyes wide. "I'M VOLTRON'S SWORD!" You yelled it this time, spinning around in your chair with your arms in the air as you cheered. 

You could hear the others laughing with exhilaration. "How did you guys do that?!" Hunk questioned excitedly.

You laughed cheerfully, coming to a stop in your chair and looking around the control room fondly. "It was all thanks to our Lions. Thanks again, White," You said fondly. 

"She's right," You heard Keith chuckle, "Thanks, Red!"

You looked around at your Lion happily for another moment before taking out your bayard. Your Lion disconnected from the others, forming her usual self that you had grown accustomed to.

The White Lion truly was something special, and you were proud to be her Paladin.


	11. Paladin Blues

You landed White in your hangar, exitting her with a loud, "Whoop!" You were still thrilled to have discovered what you were to Team Voltron, now you knew what Allura meant. Excitement radiated from you in waves as you entered the lounge, the other five Paladins celebrating their victory.

"ALLURA!" You shouted, gaining the Altean Princess's attention. "I found out what the White Lion does. She forms the sword!" You danced about the room, surprising most of the occupants. You hadn't shown such a childish side of yourself since you began fighting for your life in the arena. Yet this event had cracked your shell, allowing you to show another side of yourself that none of them had seen. The way you acted was just so joyful, the others couldn't help but smile. Most of them forgot how young you were, around the same age as Pidge.

"Oh, (Y/N), that's fantastic!" It seemed even Allura was affected by your cheerfulness. She looked like she wanted to say more, but changed her mind, instead allowing you continue your happy dance.

You gave the rest of Team Voltron another wide grin, sliding to a stop as you realized what you were doing. You mentally chided yourself, calming down as your grin morphed into a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I got a little carried away." You were supposed to be a soldier! Had you been at the military camp still you would have been scolded for getting so distracted.

"Awww!" Hunk was holding his cheeks, stars seeming to shine from his eyes. "That was adorable!"

"Oh my," Allura laughed as you ducked your head with embarrassment. "Please, (Y/N), you're free to be yourself here. We're your friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah! Best friends for life!" Lance whooped, wrapping an arm around you and hoisting you onto his shoulders suddenly. 

You shrieked at the sudden movement, laughing gleefully. "Lance, come on! Put me down!"

"Nope!" Lance began to run around the room, carrying you on his shoulders still. You clung onto the top of his head so you wouldn't fall.

"Laaaance!" You whined, though you couldn't help but to chuckle once more. The Blue Paladin may have been self-centered at times, but he was definitely the most playful of the lot. 

"Well now, I believe this calls for a celebration," Allura piped up, stopping Lance's movements and giving you a break from the hyper Blue Paladin.

"Yes indeed, Princess!" Coran replied cheerfully, "But first, we need to go back to the prisoners. They tell me they're ready to leave."

Your grin became one of surprise, becoming a small frown afterwards. "What?"

...

You had moved to another hangar, this one filled with different pods. Most of you were in there, excluding Pidge and Shiro. But you were more focused on the prisoners.

You stood closer to them than the other Paladins, ears drooping sadly. This had been your family for the Quintents you were imprisoned in Sendak's ship, and now you were being seperated.

"Good luck out there," Lance spoke up, putting a stop to the silence that had filled the room. 

"Thank you all for everything," Elder replied, bowing his head. "We'd never dreamed we'd see our families again. But you have us hope. You gave the universe hope." 

Elder turned to face you, the other prisoners and him giving small smiles to the Paladins. "Goodbye, (Y/N). I hope fate allows us to meet once more."

You teared up, waving as the ship took off. You weren't sad, though. Instead, you were happy. They would get to see their families again, just as they wanted. Once the ship was out of your view you turned, heading to your room. Maybe if you wanted it enough, you would see your father again too.

...

You sat in your room, looking up at the ceiling. You weren't sure how to feel now that you were left alone with your thoughts. Someone knocked on your door, making you sit up, "Come in."

The door slid open. Lance walked in, carrying a tray. He gave you a wide smile when you gave him a confused look. "I asked Hunk to whip up something for ya," He said. "You missed dinner and everyone thought you may want your space, but I know that you really need a friend right now."

Despite Lance's previous flirting, he looked sincere this time. There was just something in his eyes, a sadness that you were familiar with. "Really?" You asked softly. "How'd you know?" 

"Back on Earth I had a large family," Lance explained. "One day one of my little sisters came home crying. It turns out that her best friend was moving because her mom wanted to be closer to her dad, who worked in the army over seas. She barely saw her dad as is, so she was excited. My sister was excited for her friend, but she was also upset she was losing her." Lance spoke, tears gathering in his eyes as he talked about his family. Now this was a side you had never seen from the hyper Blue Paladin. "I went to her, like I'm doing right now, and we talked about it. She needed someone to open up to and help her understand that it was what was best for her friend."

"Lance," You looked a bit panicked as he cried. You weren't used to dealing with others feelings besides your own. "You're crying," You said, not knowing what else you should say. Still, you managed to sound concerned so at least you had done something right.

"I'm crying?" Lance's voice cracked. He reached up to his cheeks, wiping his fingers across them. He looked surprised when he felt the tears rolling down slowly.

"Is there something you need to talk about too?" You questioned softly. 

He laughed, though he continued to cry. "When you were bouncing around after the fight with that Robeast," He chuckled. "You reminded me of my little sister. She was the same way. I miss my family, (Y/N). I never thought some blue alien cat would take me away to the stars so I would fight in a space war. Will I ever see them again? I can't help but wonder. I want to protect them, but I want to see them."

You listened to Lance's story, your ears drooping. He missed his family too. Pidge, him, and you. You didn't know what was more painful. Not knowing where your family was, or knowing where they were and being unable to see them again. 

Suddenly, you were swept into the Blue Paladin's embrace. You stiffened as he sobbed silently, slowly growing accustomed to the hug. You did prefer your personal space, but right now it seemed Lance really needed someone. You finally returned the hug, staring silently at the wall as your head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry... I came in here to comfort you and I'm the one blubbering like a baby," He muttered, making you shake you head. 

"You really needed to talk to someone. You just didn't know it," You said, pausing akwardly. "And I think I did too... I didn't know I needed to talk to someone till I heard your story. You're right."

Lance chuckled sadly, releasing you from his hug as he wiped his eyes, "You really do remind me of her, (Y/N). It's like being with them again."

"You sound like a good big brother," You said, giving him a small smile. 

The Blue Paladin returned the smile as he breathed deeply. "Thank you... I think I'm okay now." 

His smile looked artificial, but you wouldn't force him to talk about something that rendered him to tears so easily. He would speak again when he was ready, you were sure of that.

"What about you, (Y/N)? How do you feel about the other prisoners having to leave?" Lance asked, turning his attention to you now.

"Me?" You looked down at your hands thoughtfully, "I'm okay with it. I'm happy they get to see their families again, but..."

"But?" Lance urged you to continue. He had his gaze fixed to you, a feat that you were sure wasn't easy for the always moving Paladin.

"I feel lost. I keep losing everyone I'm close to. My father, my squad, my friends," Hot tears stung your eyes, "What next?!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Lance stood up, resting his hands on your shoulder. "Come on, now. You're definitely not okay with it." He looked hesitant. "If you're up to it, how about you tell me about your parents and, squad did you say?"

You stiffened unsurely. Great, you let that one slip. But maybe Lance was the best to talk to about it. You forced yourself to calm down. "Only Pidge and Shiro know about my father right now," You said softly. "But they don't know about my squad." 

Lance sat beside you once more, ready to jump up if you started to get upset again. 

"I used to be in a Galran Military Camp. They train Galran kits to become soldiers there," You began to explain, becoming panicked when Lance looked unsure of your confession. "I promise I have no loyalty to the Galra Empire now. I was raised knowing nothing else but that Zarkon was our leader, and we had to obey him. That's why I was at the camp."

Lance shook his head quickly, "Don't worry, (Y/N), I believe you. I was just surprised since you were... Y'know, in jail?"

"Yeah, I was... I had been training with my squad, Gresal and Nafeer, before that all happened. I know everyone thinks the Galra are evil, and I guess we kind of are, but we were brought up to be like that. To other species, we were supposed to be cold, but my squad were definitely my closest friends. Gresal looked like a full grown soldier already, seemingly cold and usually quiet, but he was someone you could rely on if you ever needed advice. And Nafeer, she was a great friend. She was so positive and willing to help. We were like a family," You rambled on. It felt like forever since you last thought of them. It made your heart ache knowing you would never see them again. "My father was a high ranking officer in Zarkon's army. Sendak came to the camp one day and summoned me. Apparently, my dad had released a prisoner and both of them went missing. I said I didn't know anything, but I knew my dad wasn't a traitor. That's why I was imprisoned." You laughed bitterly, "Look at me now. I defended my father, saying he wasn't a traitor. I sure am, though."

A silence had lapsed between the two of you before Lance finally spoke up, "Do you regret it?"

"I don't," You answered truthfully. "I was too blind before to see the harm the Galra were doing. I'm just scared if I ever meet my squad again it will be in battle. And if the Galra got ahold of my father..."

"If it's as close a friendship as you described to me, I'm sure not even Zarkon can prevent it," Lance replied. "And your father, if the Galra are looking for him it means he's still out there. I know you'll see him again."

You gave Lance a small grin, "Thank you, Lance. You were right. Talking does help a lot."

"Yeah, it does!" The serious moment between the two of you seemed to melt away as he gave you a cheeky smile. "Now, you should eat your dinner."

The two of you turned to face the tray, only to find it empty. Instead, an Altean mouse was finishing off the last few crumbs. It was Platt, the same one that had sat with you a few quintents ago. He was the largest of the mice with soft, yellow and green fur. He looked up through tired, slanted eyes before curling up on the tray.

Lance blinked, surprised to see one of the Altean mice. "Oh, sorry (Y/N)," He said. "He must have followed me in when I brought your dinner. This one likes food." 

"It's okay, I wasn't very hungry anyways," You waved Lance off. "In fact, I'm more tired than anything."

"Same here," Lance laughed, raising the mood of the room. "I should go, then. Oh, and Allura wanted me to tell you tomorrow we would be hosting a party. We're inviting the Arusians, so be sure to wash up." He waggled his finger at the last part, speaking in a bad impression of Allura.

You cracked up. It was better to laugh then cry, so that's probably why you were laughing so hard.

"Alright. Night, (Y/N)," Lance had stood up, chuckling at how hard you were laughing. He picked up the tray with Platt still splayed out on it.

"Good night, Lance!" You called, flopping back into your bed when the door closed. You looked up at the ceiling once more, deep in thought. Lance was way smarter than he made himself out to be... and much more insecure too. Maybe the two of you could help eachother.


	12. Hostilities

"Psst, (Y/N), wake up!" Your shoulder was being shaken lightly, a quiet but urgent voice calling to you. Your eyes cracked open, the yellow orbs seemingly glowing in the darkness. Whoever was shaking you jumped back, getting into a fighting stance. They shook their head quickly afterwards, placing their fists down. "Jeez, your eyes are creepy in the dark."

You sat up and rubbed your eyes, blinking several times as you shook off your sleep. "Pidge?" You recognized the shorter stature of the Green Paladin. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask if you'd come with me," Pidge whispered. You gave him a confused look as he explained further, "(Y/N), I'm leaving Team Voltron. I decrypted some of the coding from the ship. I found information about where my family has been, and maybe there is something about your father there too." 

This woke you up fully as you tried to figure out what to say. "But we can't leave," You eventually blurted out, "What about the others? They need us to form Voltron!"

"I know that. I'm setting up a pod," Pidge stated. "I'm leaving the Green Lion here. Coran or Allura can pilot her."

"And the others? We can't just leave them!" You protested, Pidge shushing you when your voice raised.

"And you'd abandon your father?" Pidge shot back, his voice tinged with annoyance. He sighed, giving you a softer look afterwards, "Look, (Y/N), are you coming or not? It's for us, for our family."

You stayed silent, baffled by what Pidge was saying. Of course you wouldn't abandon your father, but Team Voltron was counting on you too. The others were willing to help you find your father, and what about White? She saved your life when that Robeast attacked. She didn't leave you, and you couldn't leave her. "Pidge, I can't go. I won't go. You shouldn't either."

Pidge surely didn't expect your refusal. He stepped back, a frown etched into his features. He shook his head, narrowing his eyes behind his thin-rimmed glasses, "Fine, abandon your family. I guess Galra wouldn't understand the importance of it in the first place."

"Pidge," You began, but the Green Paladin cut you off, "Save it, (Y/N). I don't want to hear it." He headed from the room as you sat, stunned.

You looked at your hands, covered in purple fur. Of course, it always came back to being a Galra. You would never get away from the memory of what your people had done. Yet Pidge saying it with such hate was what hurt the most.

...

Night had fallen and the party had begun. You'd just watched the oddest of plays, set up by the Arusians. It was amusing to see them try to hold a sixth Arusian as the sword before they were knocked down by the other two pretending to be the Robeast. Once their production was finished, you began to scan the room. You finally had a free moment to talk to Allura about earlier. 

You walked up behind her, seeing her watching the Altean mice. "Hunk tried to eat what?" Allura laughed. Plachu, the blue mouse with red eyes, was holding Platt's cheeks. "That is rather amusing. What other secrets?" She asked.

"Um, Allura. I-" You began to speak, the Altean Princess turning to face you.

"Oh, (Y/N)! Come join me." Allura said, gesturing for you to come over. You walked to her side, looking more confused than anything.

Chulatt, the smallest mouse with blue fur and blue eyes, jumped onto Plachu's head. Chulatt messed up the fur on his head till it resembled Lance's hair, using his tail like a gun.

"That seems like Lance," Allura commented as this whole situation clicked in your mind.

"Wait, can you understand the mice?" You questioned, looking at Platt beggingly. What if he revealed what you had told Lance? 

Platt tilted his head, then flopped down onto his back. You guessed this was his way of saying he wasn't going to spill your secret as you sighed with relief.

"Yes, the five of us shared a cryoreplenish chamber. I suppose it linked our minds," Allura explained. "Now then, what else is there?" She leaned towards the mice eagerly.

Chulatt put his paws together and looked up. His cheeks turned red and he fluttered his eyelashes. 

Allura straightened up beside you, "Pidge is a what?!" She turned and squinted at the Green Paladin, who was walking through the Arusians while he surveyed the room. 

Seeing that no one was watching, or so he thought, he grabbed one of the hovering plates. He dumped the food into a bag and slung it on his back. He then grabbed a stick from a passing Arusian's meal, cleaning out his ear with it. He blinked, taking it out and sniffing it, cringing at the smell.

Chulatt jumped onto Allura's shoulder as she turned to look at him, "Are you sure?" He squeaked and nodded, making Allura narrow her eyes thoughtfully, "I'm getting to the bottom of this."

Chuchule, the pink mouse with red eyes, raced in front of Allura. She held her paws up, waving them from her spot on the railing.

"Hm? There's more?" Allura asked, Chuchule nodding. The mouse placed her paws together, swooning back and fourth. She fell over, her paw on her head and stuck her tongue out. Afterwards, she jumped up, squeaking and pointing her paw into the crowd of Arusians, then waving her other paw towards you.

Allura covered her mouth, looking at you with wide eyes. Her hands dropped, revealing the biggest smile you've ever seen on the Altean Princess.

"Erm. Princess, what did she say?" You asked, admittedly curious.

"Come with me," Allura didn't answer you as she grabbed your arm, pulling you down the stairs. You followed behind her, not that you really had a choice in the matter, as she made a beeline straight for Pidge.

"So, Pidge, we haven't had a chance to really talk," Allura stopped in front of Pidge, smiling at the smaller Paladin. "Tell me about yourself."

"Hmm," Pidge looked at you suspiciously. You stared back, your gaze pleading for him to talk to you again. He looked away and smiled at Allura, though it looked forced. "Well, I like peanut butter, and I like peanut butter cookies, but I hate peanuts. They're so dry. Also, I sweat a lot. I mean, in general, unrelated to the peanuts."

You could tell Pidge was trying to use the onslaught of unimportant information to satisfy Allura so he could leave, but she blocked his way again. "I suppose I was thinking of something a little more personal." Allura winked at the Green Paladin, dragging you into Pidge's view once more. "(Y/N), you, and me, we have a lot in common."

Pidge didn't look impressed. "Like what? An Altean, a Galra, and a Human? Doesn't seem very similar to me."

"Oh, well, Zarkon had a part in our fathers being taken away," Allura replied hesitantly. 

"Yeah, but I'm going to get mine back," Pidge said without thinking. Allura stiffened and you flinched. Pidge had looked down guiltily, "Allura, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to-"

"No, I understand," Allura forced a weak smile onto her face. "I- I just want you to know that you can confide in me." 

You lightly pushed Allura's hands from your shoulders. "Excuse me, Princess. I think I heard Lance call me." You headed off, feeling two steady gazes on your back. You rounded a corner and headed to your room. You brought your knees to your chest and buried your head against your knees. And there, you cried. Not the happy tears you shed with Shiro, or the angry ones you let slip with Lance. No, these tears were undoubtedly those of someone who was truly losing hope. 

...

Carrying the weight of your emotions from the fight with Pidge that morning was exhausting. Even worse, you let them show in a burst of unrestrained anguish. The strain was so great that you had sunk into unconsciousness soon after you reached your room. The Castle shaking violently was what jolted you up from your sleep. 

You jumped from the bed, your gaze traveling around the room. Everything was dark, but you could see clear as day. It was another advantage of being a Galra. You jammed on your helmet and grabbed your bayard. You forced the usually automatic door open with some difficulty, darting into the darkened hallways afterwards. As you navigated the hallways the lights came back on. There was something disturbing about them, however. They were tinged purple, and you knew what this meant. The Galra had done something to the Castle, but what?

You were snapped from your thoughts as you heard a whispered voice through the communication link in your helmet, "Keith, can you hear me?"

"Pidge, is that you?" Keith's hurried voice replied.

"Pidge, Keith!" You opened your link, allowing them to know you were there too.

"(Y/N)!" Keith exclaimed, "Where are you guys?"

"I'm inside the Castle, approaching the control room," You replied, creeping along the walkways.

"Wait!" Pidge's hurried command made you halt. "I'm inside the Castle too. Sendak's in the control room, (Y/N). He has taken over and he's preparing for launch. He's got Lance and Shiro too."

Your hand tightened around your bayard. You could almost see yourself being electrocuted by Sendak's robotic limb whenever you did something to displease him. It was the worst after an arena fight, when your wounds were still open and you hadn't had time to tend to them. It would happen because you refused to finish your opponents off. You had no quarrel with them, your opponents and you were all the same, prisoners of the Galra Empire. 

"Pidge, (Y/N), listen," Allura spoke gravely, "If they've started the launch sequence, then we don't have much time before liftoff to stop it."

"What do we have to do?" Pidge asked. 

"You have to get down to the main engine control panel and disconnect the primary turbine from the central energy chamber. If you can do that, Sendak will have to restart the whole system." A blue screen appeared hovering over your arm, displaying directions to the area you were instructed to find. "If you aren't already together, try to find eachother on the way. That might give us enough time to find a way to stop them."

"Got it." You kept your communication link open, just in case, and headed towards the lower deck. What happened earlier was no longer important. Saving your friends was all that mattered now.


	13. Breakthrough

"Allura, are there any security measurements in the vents of the Castle?" You whispered, ducking out of the view of a passing sentry. You were too close to the control room as is, and traveling the way you were was becoming too risky.

There was no reply, only the sound of static. "Allura, can you hear me? Keith? Pidge?" The Castle was shaking once more. The launch sequence was cutting off your communication with the others. The same thing must have happened between Pidge, Keith, and Allura. You looked at your map, but the signal was interfering with that too. All you knew was that it was lower in the Castle. 

You decided to risk it. You unlatched a vent panel with your claws, fitting it in smoothly afterwards. Then you crawled foward a bit. There was a steep drop, the bottom swallowed up by darkness. It was perfect, you had to head down anyways. 

You lunged from the vent you were in, allowing yourself to drop. The air whistled past your ears as you fell, alerting you when you were getting closer to the end. You placed your arms out, claws digging into the wall of the vent. There was a shrill scraping noise as your descent slowed, stopping above another panel.

It was then the Castle stopped shaking. Pidge must have damaged the launch sequence somehow. With a sigh of relief you unscrewed the panel beneath you with a sharp claw, dropping to the ground below. The area you were in was filled with purple electricity running against the walls. It made your fur prickle uncomfortably.

"(Y/N)!" Your helmet crackled to life as Allura's voice distracted you from your surroundings.

"I'm here, what happened?" You answered, trying to reactivate the map once more. It didn't look like you were by the main engines at all.

"Pidge managed to overload the engine and damage the launch sequence. Where are you?" Allura's voice crackled over the communication link as you successfully pulled up your map. You glanced over it several times before typing on a small, blue holographic keyboard. "I have no idea. I sent my coordinates to you." 

There was several ticks of silence in reply before you heard a hum of approval. "You're in the Generator Room. Sit tight, Pidge should be on his way." Allura reported. 

You nodded reflexively, pausing when you remembered she couldn't see you, "Got it." 

"Pidge, have you made it to the Generator Room?" Allura's voice spoke through the communication link a few dobashs later. 

"I'm in," Pidge's voice answered clearly as you saw the automatic doors open. The Green Paladin gave you a curt nod as he surveyed the room, "This technology is so advanced, I don't know if I can figure it out."

"Yes, you can. The lives of your fellow Paladins are at stake. You can't give up," Allura replied confidently before her voice softened, "(Y/N)'s there too. From what I have seen, the two of you are the most technological of the Paladins. Together, you two can do anything."

Guilt gnawed at your stomach when you glanced at Pidge's crestfallen expression. Together, it reminded you of Pidge's question that morning. You mulled over the words Allura had said, but sudden realization hit you. "Hold on, whose lives are at stake?" You asked sharply.

"That's right," Keith, who had remained silent until then, muttered. "You left the party early. Some sort of bomb went off, Lance was caught in the crossfire. He's badly hurt, we need to fix the Castle. Shiro got captured while caring for him too."

"Quiznak," You swore, snatching Pidge's hand and beginning to run deeper into the Generator Room. "Why didn't anyone tell me?!" You yelled to no one in particular, Pidge stumbling along behind you. "You don't know Sendak like I do, Lance is in a lot more trouble than just his injuries!" Fear shot through your body as you thought of how cruel Sendak was. He had no policy for weaklings. If Lance wasn't able to even participate in an Arena Fight, he would immediately be killed. The memory of Lance and you talking and venting your insecurities made your free fist clench. He was like family to you, you couldn't lose him like you did your dad. You fell silent, pulling the Green Paladin towards your next destination.

Pidge glanced at your fearful but determined expression. He frowned, this was a lot more serious than he had known. He squeezed your hand reassuringly, feeling you hold on tighter. "Okay, talk me through it Allura."

"Shutting down the barrier from this room can be dangerous. Remember, the barrier is also a weapon, just stay away from the energy arcs," Allura warned.

"Don't touch the giant lightning bolts. Got it," Pidge replied. 

You released his hand and yelped suddendly, catching Pidge off guard. He turned to find you facing a triangular gray and blue drone. He caught your arm before you could attack it, "Hold on, that's Rover. He's on our side."

"Pidge," You replied stiffly, wrenching your arm away. "That is a Galran Drone. Their energy can be rerouted to dangerous levels. In other words, they are one code away from being ticking time bombs." 

"Rover's on our side," Pidge repeated as he attempted to soothe your suspicion. "Plus, he's not scattered across the Castle in piecies, right? It couldn't have been him."

"We don't have time for this!" Allura cut the two of you off. "Now, what I'm going to need you to do is-"

Rover flew past you and into Pidge, knocking your fellow Paladin aside. Before you could react it whirled loudly, diving at you as well. The small droid slammed into your side as well, pushing you back as several purple lasers shot where you and Pidge had been standing moments before. 

The two of you took off, the barrage of lasers unrelenting. "Pidge, (Y/N), hello? Are you there?" Allura called, but you were too busy running.

As you rounded a corner Pidge snagged your arm, dragging you to a small bend in the wall where the two of you crouched. Rover floated above, keeping watch. It beeped and flew out of the way of several swift lasers, alerting you both that your aggressors were nearby. 

You stood and activated your bayard, prepared to fight as a distraction while Pidge was searching through the blueprints of the Castle for a way out. You swung your sickle, barely missing the sentry that was quick enough to knock your weapon off course with its gun.

"Our only way out is two floors up!" Pidge called to you. 

You grit your teeth and ducked a few more rapid attacks. "Seriously?"

"Come here, I got an idea!" He answered. You swung your sickle and managed to hook it around one of the sentry's legs. It crashed to the ground while you hurried back to Pidge. As you kneeled beside him a small, blue light scanned your features. You watched as a new screen popped up in front of Pidge. He pressed a button on his Paladin suit, and a hologram of the both of you darted from behind your shelter. 

"There!" A sentry called, redirecting his attack to your holograms. It fired, the beam disrupting your fake doppelgangers as they vanished. However, it passed through them and hit one of the energy arcs. Purple electricity sparked dangerously over the air, taking out all but one sentry.

The two of you raced from your shelter, avoiding the blasts the final sentry sent your way. 

Pidge activated his bayard, the glowing green katar lengthening and digging itself into the wall near a passageway. He shortened his weapon so it pulled him up onto the ledge beside the still opened vent. It was a good thing you never placed the panel back on.

You gave a hiss of surprise when one of the beams came dangerously close to you. You swung your chained sickle a few times, throwing it towards the vent. Pidge caught it, pulling you up as beams split by your side. 

"Woah, can't believe that worked," Pidge grinned before yelping, ducking into the vent as the other sentries caught up and began firing together. You followed his lead, disappearing into the passages with Rover trailing behind you.

...

Pidge cut through a closed panel easily, the two of you plus the Galran Drone filing out. You crossed a wide, familiar room. The sound of shattering glass alarmed you as two sentries got in your way, aiming their guns. You activated your shield, Pidge doing the same as the lasers drove you back.

"It's the maze," Pidge said, pushing a few buttons on the screens once more. "Let's see them get through this!" Pidge began to run, ducking and sliding through the sentries legs skillfully. 

You, on the other hand, were a lot less graceful with your movements. You ducked under one that tried to swing its arm at you, passing the other with relative ease since it was so focused on Pidge. As soon as you were beside him Pidge activated the maze. One of the sentries crashed into it and was blown to bits. The other was trapped, slamming into the invisible electric fields as it tried to get to you both.

You dug your sickle under the floor panels, forcing open an escape route. Gesturing to Pidge the two of you jumped down.

Unfortunately, the sentry seemed to have been more skillful than you planned. It came after you, firing in the tight space of the vents. You activated your shield once more, covering both Pidge and yourself as you were forced to go backwards. Pidge's cry startled you when you looked back, seeing an air duct leading straight down and Pidge falling. "PIDGE!" You dropped the end of your chained sickle into the steep vent. You took another hit to your shield as well, stuck between the sentry and the deep air duct. 

You felt weight on your weapon and glanced down. Relief flooded your senses as the Green Paladin climbed into view. He gave you a thumbs up before his expression became one of panic. "Duck!"

You turned around just in time to see the sentry right in front of you, swinging its fist in your direction. You shut off your shield and ducked, pushing the sentry over yourself as it tumbled down the never-ending vent. Pidge flattened himself against the wall of the passage-way, but as the sentry fell past he began to lose his balance, his grip on your sickle slipping.

Much to your relief, Rover came up behind Pidge and caught him. "Rover, nice save buddy," He said, grabbing onto your sickle once more. Rover beeped in reply as you helped Pidge climb back to safety. Maybe the Galran Drone really wasn't a threat.

As the two of you exited the vents once more, Pidge glanced at you. He touched your shoulder so lightly you weren't even sure he had done it until you turned around to check. He looked just as surprised as you were, not sure why he had stopped you. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, his face one of helplessness and uncertainty.

"Pidge, are you alright?" You finally asked. "You look upset. Is it about Lance and Shiro?"

Pidge stopped, staring at you unsurely before breaking eye contact and looking up at the ceiling. "You know (Y/N)... I haven't always been there for my team." He answered you, shutting his eyes for a few moments as he relived memories you didn't know existed. Then he opened his eyes once more, his doe colored gaze meeting your own vibrant yellow one. "But this time, I will be." He gave you a small smile and held out his hand. "Come on."


	14. A Painful Past

Pidge and you were in the Engine Room, a glowing ball of pure energy in the center of the otherwise empty area. You stealthily stuck to the walls using a ladder that lead from the vent you had come from.

While Pidge was tampering with the power levels of the Castle, you were keeping watch. Haxus, a rather smooth looking Galra with dark ears, was by the control boards and typing away quickly, speaking to who you could only assume was Sendak through an intercom.

A tap on your shoulder caught your attention as you glanced up at Pidge. He gestured towards the screen in front of him that had gone red from the dangerous energy levels. "I would not want to be touching a metal surface when this thing overloads." 

A quick look back showed the energy orb having a meltdown, blue electricity crackling and delivering a quick but powerful shock to Haxus. He yelled it pain, sinking to the ground while lingering energy danced over his form. Pidge jumped from the wall and grabbed Rover, while you did the same. The Galran Drone tried its best to stay airborne, but with both your weights it descended, albeit slow enough that the wave of hazardous light passed the both of you harmlessly. 

Rover flew the short distance to the bridge, dropping you off in front of the slumped Haxus and now tame energy orb. He looked up, disbelief covering his features as he studied the two of you. "You're the ones causing all this trouble? Children?" 

"We're not children," Pidge narrowed his eyes, his katar held tightly in his grip. "We're Paladins of Voltron!"

"Let me tell you something, child," Haxus laughed superiorly, standing and unsheathing a dimly glowing purple sword, "I'm a soldier of the Galra Empire. Nothing stops me but triumph or death." His smirk grew wider as he looked your way. 

The hostility that seemed to radiate off him made you step back. You squeezed your sickle tighter and narrowed your eyes.

"And you, soldier, following in your father's footsteps? Your mother is so disappointed," Haxus smirk became sadistic as you stepped back once more, inhaling sharply. 

Pidge gave you a questioning glance, but upon seeing how shaken you looked by the mere mention of your mother he lunged at Haxus. The Galran soldier replied with a swift swipe of his sword, which Pidge barely dodged. 

Pidge launched his katar, but Haxus tangled the lengthening whip-like weapon with his sword, yanking Pidge fowards and causing him to slam into the control panel. He groaned, lifting his head and sitting up slowly. 

Haxus stepped foward, a dark look upon his face, "No where left to run, no where left to hide." He hefted his sword into the air, prepared to strike down your fallen comrade.

Meanwhile, you were trying to shake off the coldness that had settled in the pit of your stomach. You lunged sloppily at Haxus, latching onto his back and distracting him enough so that Pidge could slide between his legs to safety. 

Rover beeped beside you, Haxus' head whipping around to face the Galran Drone and tensing when he noticed the potential weapon. Pidge pulled the lengthened katar towards himself, and as Haxus began to stumble over it, you dropped from his back. You heard movement behind you and ducked once more, allowing Rover to fly over your head and slam into Haxus' face harshly. The Galra stumbled back, the engines looming dangerously underneath. As he was about to fall he grabbed onto Rover, the droid letting out a startled beep.

"Rover!" Pidge yelled. 

The two of you stood stiff as the pale blue light of the drone flickered. It beeped, glowing brightly before shutting itself down.

It only took a moment for you to realize what had happened. Rover stopped hovering, falling back towards the engines. Haxus flailed as he grabbed widly for another item to catch himself with, no longer able to keep his balance. 

"NO!" Pidge ran foward, trying to rescue her robot companion, but it tumbled into the darkness of an engine, Haxus' eerie yell lingering. "No!" Pidge yelled once more, leaning over the edge. You grabbed his shoulders in case he slipped, the Green Paladin sulking as he looked downward. 

"Haxus, report in," Sendak's commanding voice ordered from the control panel. You glanced down at Pidge, who was forcing himself to carry on even after his loss.

You felt anger welling up in you as you stomped in front of the control panel, your fur bristled. Pidge needed time to compose himself, and you'd allow him it. "Haxus is gone, and you're next!" You growled.

"You!" Sendak's enraged voice snarled back, "You and your fool of a teammate slowed me down, but this ship is mine! You will both turn yourselves over to me immediately!"

"Never!" Pidge's outraged cry beside you made you glance at the Green Paladin. He looked more agitated than anything. 

"Well then," Sendak snarked, "Maybe your leader can convince you."

"What do you want?" Shiro's sharp tone cut through the intercom as Pidge and you tensed.

"Your friend wanted to hear from you," Sendak's taunting voice replied.

"Shiro!" Pidge called out fearfully.

"Are you okay?!" You questioned hurriedly. 

"Pidge, (Y/N), don't listen to him!" Shiro suddenly said before letting out a pained cry. 

"No!" Pidge cringed beside you. You were shaking, your sensetive ears able to pick up the faint sound of static from the other end. Shiro, he was being electrocuted by Sendak's robotic limb. Phantom pains covered your form, the dull aches hurting you more mentally than physically.

"You can make it stop," Sendak's voice once again flowed from the speakers. "Turn yourselves in. His suffering is in your hands."

You shut the communication link and turned to Pidge, the both of you shaken by the recent events. "We need to go to the control room," Your voice cracked, "There's no other way."

...

You were hiding around the corner, listening as Sendak spoke to a limp Shiro. Lance laid beside him, sprawled on the ground with his eyes shut. He looked a lot worse than you had imagined, and it seemed like it was painful for him to breathe. "I'm impressed that you managed to escape. Perhaps it would be worth a trip to your planet to see if the rest of your kind have your spirit," He said said to Shiro. "Of course, they will all end up broken... Just like you. Now that we have Voltron every planet, every race, all share the same fate."

Pidge and you exchanged glances. Nodding, he activated the holograms once more, your two look alikes standing caught in the entrance. Sendak extended his arm, attempting to crush "you", but your hologram dodged, beginning to run down the hall with Sendak in hot pursuit. 

Pidge raced in and kneeled before Shiro. "Shiro, wake up. It's me, Pidge."

While Pidge was busy with Shiro, you bent down to check on Lance. He was still alive, but his chest shook as he breathed. There must have been some sort of internal damage as well. "Quiznak, Lance. Only you could get in trouble at a party," You forced a dry chuckle, knowing Lance would have laughed had he been awake. 

You were suddenly wretched from your spot beside Lance, yelping as a gigantic metal arm encased you easily in its grasp, dragging you back to the Galran Commander. "You really thought your little hologram trick would work with me?" 

"(Y/N)!" Pidge stiffened, knowing a little of what Sendak was capable of. He didn't want to trigger another electrical shock to someone he cared about. Footsteps caught his attention as Keith and Allura raced into the room, freezing when they saw you struggling in Sendak's tight grip. Keith summoned his bayard, taking a step forward.

Purple electricity ran over your body for several ticks. You let out an agonized sob, the pain of the actual shocks and the past memories stacking into an unbearable torment. "That was a warning," Sendak spoke stiffly, "Stand back."

A beam hit Sendak from behind, the Galra dropping you as you rolled painfully against the ground. He turned to face whoever had been foolish enough to attack him. Pidge raced over, pulling you out of harms way as you shook in his arms. 

Lance, who had summoned his bayard and fired it, groaned. He sunk back against the wall, unconscious.

Shiro stood and tried to attack Sendak with his limbs restrained, but the Galran Commander easily blocked his attack. Keith raced foward with his sword raised and swung it, but Sendak used his arm to block the sword once more. Keith was struggling as Sendak kept halting his attacks, eventually getting ahold of the Red Paladin and flinging him across the control room.

Pidge sat you up against the wall, patting your shoulder. You were still shaking, mind numb from the familiar expirence. You weren't scared, no. You were downright terrified. "Hang in there, (Y/N)," Pidge urged before standing, charging at Sendak afterwards. He lifted his katar, spinning as he sliced Sendak's robotic limb clean off. "That's for hurting my friends!"

Meanwhile, Allura was typing hurriedly across one of the control panels, keeping an eye on Lance and you. 

Pidge had attacked once more, sending her katar into Sendak's leg and delivering a nasty shock. Keith tried to take advantage of that as he swiped his sword towards Sendak, but the Galra easily caught it in his remaining arm, still convulsing from the electrical currents that Pidge's katar gave off. 

"Keith, now!" Allura yelled. Keith kicked Sendak back, separating himself as a barrier formed around Sendak and the corrupted crystal. Sendak tried to attack, but it was futile, the barrier stayed strong.

While the others were released from their restraints, Allura headed over to you. She placed a hand on your shoulder to help you up, but you jolted, pushing her hand away quickly. She stared at you with a small frown. She was still a tad weary of you, after all, her planet was destroyed by your kind, but seeing you shaking before her made her upset. You were just a kid, the youngest next to Pidge, and you'd already seen so much war. 

"Come on, (Y/N)." Allura helped you up once more, this time keeping a gentle but firm grip on your arm. "Let's get Lance and you to the Cryoreplenish Chambers."

When you arrived to the healing pods both Lance and you were settled into them. However, your chamber immediately opened up when you were placed inside. Allura's worried expression deepened. 

"What's wrong, Allura?" Keith questioned as he tried to figure out why the chamber wasn't allowing you into a healing cycle. 

Allura glanced at Pidge, the Green Paladin taking note the silent signal. He helped you from the Cryogenic Chambers, leading you to your room for rest.

"(Y/N)'s injures are not physical," Allura replied once Pidge had you out of the room. Her voice filled with dread as she continued, "Her wounds are mental."


	15. Unveiled

You'd been resting for several vargas, unable to sleep. Your body was exhausted, but your mind was racing with what had taken place earlier. Allura probably wasn't aware that your hearing was better than an Alteans. You had heard what she told them, that your mind was scarred by Sendak's torture, and only now did you realize how right she was.

When your door slid open, breaking you from your thoughts, you stiffened. Your ears perked up, alerting whoever was at the door that you knew they were there. Light, unsteady footsteps came towards you, but you kept your face buried into the pillow. There was movement as your bed dipped, and someone patted your back.

"Go away," Your voice was muffled as the person ruffled your hair. Your ears lowered in disapproval.

"Aw, come on. I thought you'd be excited to hear I was awake," The familiar teasing tone had you up faster than you could comprehend. 

You clung to your visitor tightly, muttering under your breath, "You idiot! You could have died... what happened?"

"Yup, definitely like my little sister." You lifted your head just in time to see Lance smile and laugh. He had returned to his normal clothes, but the cold temperature of the Cryogenic Chambers still lingered as he shivered involuntary.

"I'll tell you on the way to the kitchen," Lance hefted you to your feet, the two of you leaning against eachother for support afterwards. Lance still hadn't fully recovered from his stasis in the healing pod, and you were still exhausted from your earlier panicked state.

"There was this robot thing that looked just like Rover," Lance explained as the two of you made your way through the halls, "Coran and I were talking by this crystal that powers the Castle. It started flashing red and I just... I pushed Coran to the ground and covered him. The Rover look-alike exploded and I took the brunt of the attack." He smiled sadly. "Coran's a good friend, I couldn't let anything happen to him."

You nodded in agreement remembering how he guided you as a new Paladin. He wasn't just a Royal Advisor, but a great friend. You swore he did the most work in the Castle to keep everything running smoothly and at fall capacity. Eventually you made it to the kitchen, where the other Paladins were already waiting. They perked up when they saw the two of you enter and Allura ushered Lance to a seat. 

Without Lance as your support you ended up sitting against the wall, looking over at Lance as Coran placed a fresh bowl of food goo in front of him.

As you sat on the ground, Hunk took a seat beside you. You glanced at him questioningly and he shrugged, giving you a reassuring smile. He just oozed kindness, something that was still rather new for you. You settled into a comfortable silence, watching the others speak encouragingly to one another.

"Wow, thanks everybody!" Lance glanced at Keith afterwards, raising his eyebrow in a snide manner. "Sounds like the mice did more than you though."

"I punched Sendak!" Keith's outraged cry had gotten the attention of everyone in the room.

"Yeah, uh, apparently after I emerged from a coma and shot his arm off," Lance replied dismissively.

"We had a bonding moment," Keith's frown was evident on his face, "I cradled you in my arms!" 

"Nope, don't remember, didn't happen," Lance hummed as Keith huffed. The Blue Paladin glanced around once more, realization crossing his features. "So, what happened to Sendak?" 

"He's frozen in a cryo-pod," Allura explained. "We're keeping him here, in the Castle."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lance asked, glancing at you. Your head was down at the unsavory information, but he could still tell that you were unhappy with the news. 

"He's too dangerous to be set free. Besides, we might be able to get some information about Zarkon from him." Allura replied.

"So what's the plan now?" Lance changed the subject. He didn't want you to feel worse than you already did. The other Paladins had filled him in on what happened, and he was distraught with how the low voltage shock could drive you to your knees so fast because of your past tortures. 

"We have to get back to the Balmera and save Shay and her people," Hunk answered from his spot beside you. 

Your ears flicked at the mention of a Balmera. You had heard of them before, their rare battle level crystals were being excavated by the Galra Empire. You had no doubt it was your own people, yet again.

"Wow, you are really hung up on this lady," Lance commented dryly.

"No, it's not like that," Hunk stood and looked at the other occupants of the room. "Look, guys, when you see how Zarkon has treated these people and destroyed their home... They've been under his thumb for so long they don't even know what it is to be free. It's up to us to set this right. This is what being a Paladin of Voltron is all about. It's time to man up!"

"Then let's get moving. Time to go defend the universe," Shiro ordered. Your balance had returned as you began to follow everyone from the room when Pidge stood from his seat.

"Wait," He said softly, "I have something to say first. I need to come clean, and I'm afraid this may change the way you all think about me. Just so there are no secrets between us anymore..." He began to frown, looking like he regretted bringing it up as he dug himself deeper and deeper into his confession. "I can't man up, I'm a girl."

Well, you certainly hadn't been expecting that. You lifted your head with surprise, your ears perking with interest. Sendak was pushed from your mind as the Paladin you had the most back and fourth relationship with admitted that he was a she.

"I mean, I can 'man up' because that's just a figure of speech. I don't actually have to be a man to man up. I just have to be tough. But what I'm saying-" Pidge began to ramble, fidgeting with her glasses.

"Wh- bu- wha- YOU'RE A GIRL? HOW?" Lance yelled, making Pidge cringe. You swore the volume of his voice knocked her glasses crooked.

"I've known for some time, but I'm glad you've shared it with everyone." Allura smiled, exchanging a quick nod with the mouse on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I figured," Hunk smiled wider. 

"Yeah, me too," Keith agreed.

"Wait," Coran leaned forward, "We were supposed to think you were a boy?"

"Pidge, owning who you are is going to make you a better Paladin." Shiro said proudly. He gave you a slight glance, knowing you also had some secrets. You shook your head, fiddling with your hands. You couldn't, not yet. He nodded understandingly, and you were thankful he respected you enough for you to decide when the time was right to reveal your past.

Pidge sighed with relief, walking foward again. "It's good to get that off my chest. Now, let's launch this castle ship!"

"Wait, what?" Lance yelled, throwing his arms up from confusion. "Pidge is a girl and the Castle is a ship? How long have I been out?" He trailed after the other Paladins with you following behind.

...

All around the control room different chairs began to rise. Each had a corresponding color to their Paladins. You found your chair between Shiro's and Keith's. It made sense, since the Red Lion held the sword after all. You sat down and immediately screens popped up, showing you the Castle's condition and other useful information. You found yourself scrolling through it, swiping left and right as you learned more functions about the Castle.

"Activate interlock," Allura ordered, placing her hands on two beams that had risen beside her. 

"Dynotherms connected," Coran informed her. Your ears flicked, able to hear the hum of power flowing through the Castle and underneath your seat. 

"Mega thrusters are go," Allura finished, gripping the beams beside her tighter.

"We are ready to depart planet Arus." Coran declared as the Castle began to shake.

The shaking grew more powerful. You could see from the window that parts of the Castle were lengthening and expanding. The sound of ground tumbling away reached your ears as the engines roared. Slowly, the Castle of Lions began to take to the air. You could see the Arusian village down below, and could almost imagine them staring in awe as the Castle shot into the sky. Space loomed ahead, but so did Zarkon.


	16. Suspicions

"Okay, so when we get there, what do you think? Do we just roll up and start blasting or do we land and have some kind of public address system like, 'Attention Galras, this is Voltron. Turn yourselves in!'" Hunk was pacing back and fourth. The other Paladins and you had bunched together to talk seeing how the Castle was gliding smoothly through space. Hunk studied your expressions as no one said anything, "No, blasting, right?"

"Hunk, seriously?" You shook your head as he began to ramble like Pidge. He gave you a sheepish smile as you added, "And yes, blasting."

"Ah, it's his first big rescue mission. He's excited," Shiro replied with a wave of his hand. 

"Excited to see his new girlfriend," Pidge leaned back so she was facing Hunk upside down, a teasing grin across her face.

Hunk gasped and tried to shake off his surprise "She's not my girlfriend! She's just a rock that I met and I admire very much."

"I wouldn't be talking anyways, Pidge," Keith hummed as the Green Paladin shot him a glare. He smirked wider when he saw her cheeks faintly dusted with pink.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pidge huffed. She was about to say something else when a short, continuous alarm started going off.

"What is it?" You asked, turning to face Coran. 

"Are we being attacked?" Shiro added, ready to head to his Lion at a moments notice. 

"No, it seems to be a distress beacon!" Coran said as he read through the codes that appeared on the control panel. 

"It's coming from a nearby moon. Apparently a ship has lost power." Allura explained.

"I wonder who it is," Pidge murmured curiously.

"Whoever it is will have to wait. Shay has first priority. We can check back on them when we're done," Hunk had placed his arms on his hips, unusually serious.

"The Paladin Code states we must help all those in need," Allura argued.

"Wow, this is so cool. It's like we're space cops on space patrol!" Lance held up his fist excitedly.

"Don't you need a siren to be a space cop?" You commented. Lance had told you quite a few stories about Earth. From what you've heard, sentries were similar to cops.

"That's right! Coran, do we have a siren we can turn on?" Lance asked excitedly.

"Uh, no, but we could record you making a siren noise and broadcast that to them," Coran answered.

"Perfect!" Lance began to make a loud 'mrrrrrraaaaaaaaa' call before Shiro turned around quickly, covering his mouth. "Nope, not doing that."

...

You rode down with the other Paladins and Allura on a small pod, prepared to meet the source of the distress beacon. As it opened up you could see two aliens and a robot. You studied each of them.

There was a purple alien with dark spots, white hair, and dark eyes. He wore bandages and loose clothing. He resembled some sort of engineer with a goggle topped hat upon his head.

Then there was a yellow alien with dark purple eyes. She was dressed mostly in blue with a purple strap across her waist. 

Lastly, was the robot. It was simple in design, gray, black, and white with a round head. It had a glowing green line for an eye.

"You don't know how glad we are to see some friendly faces. Most folks don't wanna get tangled up with anyone who's on the run from the Galra," The purple alien greeted with a tool in his hand.

"So, you guys are fighting the Galra?" Keith questioned as you headed towards them. 

"Well, I don't think Zarkon is exactly quaking in his boots at the three of us, but we do what we can," The purple alien answered. "I'm Rolo. This is Nyma," He pointed to the female alien, "And our cyber unit, Beezer," He gestured towards the robot.

You sweatdropped when Lance and Pidge split away from the group. Both of them were admiring members of Rolo's team. Lance, of course, was flirting with Nyma. Pidge, surprisingly, was all over Beezer as she studied the cyber unit. 

"Was your ship damaged in a fight?" Shiro asked, grabbing Rolo's attention.

"Yeah, we've really been through it with the Galra," Rolo glanced back at his ship. It didn't look very banged up, but perhaps just the engine was shot. "Parts are hard to come by. Luckily we were able to limp to this moon about a week ago. If you didn't pick up our distress signal I'd..." He trailed off, now seeing your pupilless yellow gaze watching him curiously. "Woah, woah! You brought a Galra?"

"Hey!" Hunk crossed his arms and glared at Rolo. "She's one of us, not just some Galra."

You were surprised by how irritated he had gotten, usually the heavyset boy was slow to anger. Nonetheless, you smiled, "Thanks Hunk." 

"We're happy to help," Allura said, her hand resting against her heart. "I am Princess Allura of Altea, and from now on you won't be alone fighting the Galra. You'll have the Paladins of Voltron by your side." 

While Shiro, Hunk, Keith, and you had remained together, looking rather professional, Pidge and Lance were still socializing with Rolo's crew. Rolo glanced at the two playful Paladins, then at you, and finally turned back to Allura. He didn't look very impressed, "Okay."

"I don't think they've heard of us," Shiro muttered.

"It has been ten thousands years," Keith pointed out. 

Lance jumped back into the conversation as he heard that Rolo didn't know what Voltron was. He turned away from Nyma and began to do hand gestures while he explained. "Voltron? Five robot Lions that combine into this big robot... guy? With a sixth Lion that forms a sword. You know? Voltron? Big ol' V? Defender of the Universe, Voltron?"

"Sounds impressive," Rolo replied with a curious stare. "I'd love to see it. Or- or him? Them."

"Why don't we just get to work on your ship, I'm sure we all have places to be," Hunk said, his voice still laced with irration.

Rolo shrugged it off, "Sure." He lead you over to his ship to show the damage, opening the back. "Pretty much our whole assembly is shot. I don't know what kind of extra parts you carry in this rig of yours. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"I'm sure we can get you back up and running, give Hunk a list of what you need," Allura said as she glanced at the Yellow Paladin. "Coran can show you where to find it." 

"Okay," Hunk begrudgingly agreed.

"We'll go with you," Rolo offered, "Don't want you to carry all that yourself. Come on, guys." As Rolo headed towards the Castle, Hunk held out his arm.

"Uh, I don't think so," Hunk crossed his arms and once more narrowed his eyes at Rolo. "You can just wait out here."

"Hunk!" Allura exclaimed. "Don't be rude." 

"Yeah, mind your manners, there are ladies present!" Lance did some finger guns towards Nyma, making Shiro sigh. 

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hunk stood up straighter. "But does anyone remember the last time we let our defenses down. Someone kind of set off a bomb!" Hunk looked over at the Blue Paladin. "Remember, Lance? You were almost killed." 

"Oh, yeah," Lance's head lowered as he stepped back.

"Hunk's right," Shiro began. "Sorry, but we have to be cautious." 

"Hey, I don't take it personal," Rolo said as Beezer began to print out the parts they needed. "That's how it is out here. You got to look out for your own. You're doing a good job, big man."

"Yeah, thanks," Hunk muttered. 

As the others began their work, you headed over to the Yellow Paladin. "Hunk, what's up? I've never seen you act this way before."

"I don't trust them, (Y/N)," Hunk said. "There's something off about them. Things just aren't adding up."

You glanced at Rolo's ship, the outside dirty but still in good condition. "I know what you mean," You replied. "But the best we can do is keep an eye on them incase they try to pull anything." 

Hunk gave a relieved sigh, "Thanks, at least I'm not alone here."

"I'll stick by Rolo," You said, glancing at the alien that was now talking to Allura several meters away. "You keep an eye out for anything he might have lied about."

Hunk had a determined expression on his face. "Will do, (Y/N). Rolo's up to something and whatever it is, it's no good."


	17. Catnapped

"My planet was destroyed by the Galra," Rolo was sitting beside a roaring fire, beginning his story, "And I was taken captive. I managed to escape, but," He pulled down the cloth of his boot, revealing a purple and gray metal leg. He tapped lightly, a hollow sound came fourth. "Not before I lost something."

You were seated between Keith and Allura, listening to his tale. At first you felt sympathy, but as he spoke he would glance your way. Your ears flicked with irration. You'd become so used to how Team Voltron treated you, as a friend and teammate, you'd almost forgotten what the universe thought of Galra.

"I know exactly how that feels," Shiro said, his voice heavy with empathy and loss.

"Well, I hope there are some parts in here that will fit," Hunk pulled a large cart filled with metal parts and scraps into your view. Rolo had turned to look at him, but made no other movement. "You know, to get your ship moving?" Hunk huffed.

"Great, thanks." Rolo gave the Yellow Paladin a casual grin. He didn't seem very concerned at all.

"So, what can you tell us about Zarkon's forces? Where are they concentrated?" Allura questioned as you heard Pidge yelling with delight. A quick look back revealed the Green Paladin riding Beezer as the cyber unit rolled across the moon's surface at high speeds.

"Well, his command ship sits right in the center of the Empire." Rolo began, "He mostly calls the shots from there and has his minions do the work." Once more, he glanced your way.

"I have eyes you know," Your yellow gaze narrowed at his, your hands slamming down onto the metal cart you were sitting on with annoyance. "Stop looking at me everytime you talk about the Empire! Look, I'm not part of them, alright? I gave that up!" 

Your outraged cry left the other Paladins stunned. You breathed heavily, the words that you had said ringing in your ears. It was only then you had realized exactly what you had blurted out, reeling back in horror. Only Lance had known of your past expirence training for the Galra Empire. You hopped off the cart, regret bubbling in your stomach. "I gotta go," You said briskly. 

"Hey, hold it, Shorty," Rolo waved his arm dismissively. He looked much more interested in you now, "You're right. Sorry, I just haven't had the best past with the Galra." 

You didn't care about that anymore. You nodded numbly, looking at the other Paladins and Allura. Allura's emotion was hard to tell, but it definitely wasn't happy. Keith looked curious, Hunk didn't look too surprised, but Shiro looked like he accepted it. You could tell from Shiro's expression, however, that he wanted you to explain further at some point. "I'm going to go," You said softly.

...

You were inside the ship, digging through different machine parts when Hunk returned, mumbling to himself about how Rolo wanted a specific length of thermal pipe and where exactly he could shove said pipe. He stopped when he saw you. At first he grinned, then he seemed to pick up your mood. His eyebrows furrowed as he set down the pipe he had been inspecting, "What's wrong?"

"I did something stupid," You glanced at the sheet Beezer had printed out and began to dig into the different parts. "Very, very, stupid. You heard me, right?"

Hunk scratched the back of his head guiltily. "In all honesty, I've known for a while. I was wondering why Lance asked me to make some extra food a few weeks ago, so I followed him. I may or may not have heard you spill your whole past afterwards?" Your unwavering stare made the Yellow Paladin fidget nervously, "Are you mad?"

"No," You covered your face, your previously tensed form relaxing. You took a deep breath and looked back up, "I'm relieved. You're not angry, or disgusted, or even cautious."

Hunk patted your head, his large hand ruffling your hair affectionately. "Of course not. I'm guessing you're going to tell the others too?"

You nodded, feeling much more at ease with both the Yellow Paladin and Blue Paladin's knowledge of what had happened. "Yeah, after we get Rolo out of the way. Plus, I should give Allura time to digest it," You hesitated, "I think she's mad at me."

"Lance and I got your back," Hunk reassured you, "Now, come on. Let's fix that ship so we can finally go save Shay." 

"Your girlfriend?" You teased lightly, remembering exactly how Hunk had reacted earlier in the day when Pidge said the same thing.

Once more, the Yellow Paladin's eyes bugged out. He pouted and began to head out of the room with a pipe in his hand. You giggled, and Hunk couldn't but to smile, "Man, girls are so cruel."

...

It was easy to work on the ship with Hunk's guidance. You were still better at creating codes and deciphering them, but it was easy to follow the simple directions he gave you. You were tightening a few bolts and checking to see if anything was loose when a loud boom made you look up. The Blue Lion was flying into space.

"Lance," Hunk groaned, looking up at the sky.

"Aw, let them have their fun," Rolo said, heading over to Hunk, "Thanks to you this thing's just about ready so we're gonna be on our way soon." He glanced at the pipe in Hunk's hand. "Too many lightyears on that guy, I guess?"

"Yeah," Hunk agreed hesitantly as Rolo headed off. He exchanged a look with you, the two of you had noticed the same thing. The ship couldn't have been in a fight, the busted pipe was only cracked. This was sabotage. The only thing you two couldn't be certain on was whether or not it was deliberate.

...

"Hey, Shorty, there's something up with the controls. Think you could lend me a hand?" Rolo had cut you off on your way to the ship. You raised an eyebrow, but followed none the less. He lead you into the ship, it was pretty decent and looked well kept. You began to scan the buttons, "I don't see what's wrong with them."

"Here, let me show you," You scooted over as Rolo sat in the pilots chair. The ship began to shake and you took a step back. It rose into the air, taking off quickly.

Your fur prickled. "Okay, take me back now. Your buttons work fine," You growled, wishing you hadn't left your bayard and helmet in the Castle. 

"Of course," Rolo soothed. "Just let me pick up Nyma first. Then we'll head right back to the others."

You balled up your fists, but begrudgingly settled down. You narrowed your eyes as the ship hovered, the bottom beginning to open. You were startled as Rolo's arms wrapped tightly around you, restraining you. You spat and struggled, seeing the Blue Lion being pulled into the ship. Its light blue barrier was up, as if it knew it was being stolen. Knowing the Lions, it probably did. "Beezer, man the controls!" Rolo called, struggling to hold you. 

Arms protruded from the slits on Beezer's side. The small robot rolled over to the controls, pressing a button.

Nyma climbed into view only ticks later, her smirk widening when she saw you. "Need some of these?" She asked Rolo, tossing him two plasma handcuff. 

Rolo grunted with appreciation, or perhaps it was because you elbowed him in the stomach, either way, he had pinned your arms behind your back, activating the cuffs and rendering your arms useless. He then pushed you to the ground, doing the same to your legs so you couldn't run. The best you could do was squirm under their feet and hopefully annoy them enough that they released you, which probably wouldn't happen. 

Rolo settled back into the pilot seat. He typed a few things before opening up a communication link. Your ears flattened as a Galra appeared on the screen.

"Commander Prorok, my name is Rolo. I understand you're offering an award to anyone helping capture the Voltron Lions?" Rolo had his feet up, obviously not taking Prorok's rank as a commander very seriously.

"That's correct," Prorok replied. "Do you know where they are?"

"I know where the blue one is," Rolo said, "It's in my ship. We also have a little extra, a traitor to the Galra Empire."

Nyma pulled you up from the ground. You glared at them, your harsh gaze meeting that of Commander Prorok's. "You son of a glipnorp!" Nyma dropped you back to the ground.

"Excellent," Prorok didn't seem very affected by your insult, "Bring them to me and you'll have your reward." 

"Just a tick," Rolo began slyly, "You see, my friends and I have a bit of a checkered past. Some stolen merchandise from the Galra Empire may have fallen into our possession without us knowing about it."

"Well, I'm sure that a full pardon can be arranged for the brave souls that bring Emperor Zarkon a Voltron Lion and a traitor," Prorok replied, "Is that all?"

"We'll take the reward too," Nyma had her hands on her hips, her foot resting on your back since you kept trying to trip them. 

"Of course," Provok muttered.

"Alright, we're on our way," Rolo informed Provok before the screen shut off. Rolo sat back in his chair, stretching, "I almost feel sorry for those Voltron folks. They seem like a nice bunch."

"If you're feeling guilty you can turn yourself in," Nyma shrugged, releasing you from under her foot. "Stealing from Zarkon carries a life sentence." All the while, you were yelling threats and alien curses in the background.

"They don't seem that nice," Rolo replied softly. He proceeded to drive in silence, ignoring you as you tried to bargain your way out with 'IOUs' and various items you'd found strewn around the Castle.

Your pleading was cut off as an alarm began to go off, the ship flashing red. A screen appeared, revealing the other four Paladins of Voltron on their way. You wiggled excitedly, "You're in trouble~!"

"No way," Rolo opened up a screen, adjusting the ship as the steering controls extended foward.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing? There's no way we can outrun those Lions," Nyma stated.

"Not in the open," Rolo said calmly, "Good thing the Zorlar astroid belt is right up here and I know that like the back of my hand." 

He drove towards the astroid belt, loosing the Paladins, or so he had assumed. A few ticks later the alarm sounded and the lights flashed red again. "No way," He stated, seeing the Red Lion flying above them. He turned back to face his crew, "Get on the blasters, take him down!"

"Copy," Nyma replied, taking a seat as Beezer's hidden arms became visible once more.

You could hear the sounds of beams being fired, and the sudden shifting as Rolo dodged Keith's attacks left you sliding across the ground. 

"This kid can flat out fly," Rolo commented.

"He's gaining on you," Nyma called, firing her beams faster. 

The ship made a sudden sharp turn that sent you sliding to the back. You could feel yourself pressed against the barrier of the Blue Lion. You looked up, its yellow eyes looked dull to you, they didn't have the life that the White Lion had showed you. "Man, I wish White was here," You grumbled, glancing up at the stoic metal feline before you. "No offense, Blue. I'm sure you're a great match for Lance." 

Explosions rang out in the back and you cringed, huddling closer to the Blue Lion's barrier. One of the explosions managed to reach the very back of the ship, where you were currently incapable of moving. You shut your eyes tight, curling into a ball to escape the heat, but you went sliding backwards instead. You gave a confused shout before you hit a gigantic metal claw. You had made it through the Blue Lion's barrier, or perhaps, it had allowed you?

"Blasters are offline!" Nyma yelled.

"We got to get out of here!" Rolo pushed a control stick forward. You assumed the ship was flying faster by how your stomach suddendly dropped.

There was another explosion and this time the ship began to spin out of control. You were thankful you weren't jostled around as badly as you had been before. Being between the Blue Lion's claws kept you secure, for the most part. You still slid back and fourth a bit. 

The ship began to flash red once more, Rolo and his crew struggling to steady the ship. It came to a forceful stop, the sound of metal scraping on metal reached your ears. You gave a sigh of relief when the Green, Yellow, and Black Lions came into view. "They did it."

...

You were rubbing your wrists and ankles, throwing glares at Rolo and his team. You had returned to the moon, and were preparing to depart.

"Since your ship really doesn't work now, you'll have to wait here for a rescue," Keith said.

"Thanks," Rolo glanced downwards remorsefully, "For sparing our lives."

"Now that these guys are dealt with let's get to the Balmera and save Shay and her family," Hunk snapped, arms crossed as he scowled at Rolo.

"You may not believe this," Rolo dipped his head humbly, "But I hope you do stop Zarkon. It's a life time of fighting the Galra that led me to where I am today."

It was safe to say you did not believe him. As you began to head towards the Castle with the others, Allura faced you. "(Y/N)," She said, her arms crossed and gaze thoughtful, "I believe you have some things to explain."


	18. An Explanation

You were sitting in the lounge area, your arms resting in your lap as you glanced around at the other Paladins. Hunk gave you a reassuring smile, but Lance looked clueless as usual. Keith was avoiding eye contact, you couldn't see his face. Shiro was waiting patiently for you to begin, giving you a slimmer of hope that perhaps the Black Paladin would understand your situation. Pidge, who wasn't around when you snapped, was staring at you curiously. Coran looked unsure, glancing at Allura and you several times. Then there was Allura. She looked agitated beyond belief, and that made you feel worst of all. You had thought that your kinds differences could be set aside, but of course you had to ruin it. It was your fault for keeping it a secret.

You took a deep breath, facing the Paladins across from you as you laced your fingers together, calming your nerves. "Before you all found me on Sendak's ship, before I was really friends with all of you, before I was sure you all would understand why I hid this, I trained for Zarkon's army."

Hunk and Lance, who had realized what was going on, motioned for you to continue. Coran still looked uncertain, perhaps waiting for your story to finish. Keith tensed at the mention of Zarkon, and Pidge was shocked, but at least she didn't look angry. Your ears lowered, distressed, when Allura gave you a cold look, "Go on."

"I was afraid, afraid you all would hate me if I said anything. My father, he was a high ranking individual in Zarkon's army," You explained further. "My mother she... she's also was in the army. She still is, in fact. It was natural that I'd want to follow in my parents' footsteps, I admired the both of them."

You chuckled dryly, tears stinging your eyes but refusing to fall. This was the most in depth you'd gone, "I had a squad there, Gresal and Nafeer. I don't expect you to understand, the good side of Galran kind has been so tarnished, but they were my best friends. Gresal was the leader of our group. He was a strategist and looked like a fully grown Galra already. He was cold, heartless, and powerful, a perfect soldier. At least, that's what he appeared to be. He cared about his squad, doing what he could to make sure Nafeer and I were safe, even in training battles. Nafeer was our weapons expert. She was kind and helpful, saying how if we tried hard that was all that mattered. She was also smart as a whip, able to formulate plans and build weapons from scrap. Then there was me. See, being small in the Galran kind is usually looked down upon. The only reason I managed to get into the military camp was because of my father's rank. I was useless charging in since I lacked the brute strength we are known for, but Gresal found a place for me. I was the stealth and information collector. I had to be able to sneak into different areas various ways, decode, and hack information. We were the top team despite the disadvantages."

You looked at the floor, you could feel your heart rate pick up. "I was so happy. I loved my team, and my parents. Then Commander Sendak arrived. He brought the news that my father had gone rogue. He released a prisoner, and was a traitor to the Galra Empire. I argued, of course. I didn't want to believe it. Sendak claimed I was being traitorous as well, and threw me into the arena. He was planning to take me to Haggar, but instead he found the Red Lion and White Lions. So, I was forced to fight in the arena for the time being. Opponents I tried so hard not to kill wound up dead anyways," You scoffed disapprovingly, "Weakness was punishable by death. If you didn't win, you were as good as Teludiron meat. I still refused to kill them, I was a prisoner too, we were all in the same position. Sendak wasn't pleased. He wanted blood spilt, and although there was, none was fatal," Your throat tightened up, Hunk moving to sit beside you comfortingly. The bigger male's warmth was soothing, allowing you to continue, "I'd be electrocuted until I could feel it even when he took his hand away. Voltages depended on how he felt, if he was particularly bored I'd be almost unconscious. It hurt, so much, I couldn't believe that this was what the army did. I thought we battled honorably, not torture, not for amusement. I was so foolish back then, I no longer have any loyalty to the Galra Empire. You guys, you saved me. You welcomed me, I'm one of you."

You went silent, letting them grasp your background before Keith surprisingly spoke up. He looked at you now, speaking his next words carefully. "(Y/N)," He began, "It sounds like Sendak was using you as bait. His reasoning, that was a lie. He wanted you to stay there, didn't he? To think you did something wrong. And the shocks, to control you."

Your mind clicked. "You're right. And my dad never did show up to save me, even if he was a traitor," You shook your head, "He cared about his own skin more than his daughter."

The others exchanged glances. Safe to say you did not expect most of these reactions. You were rushed by four sets of arms. Hunk, Lance, Pidge, and most surprising was Coran. They gave you a tight hug, your previous tense form melting as you hugged back. Usually you weren't one for physical contact, but the comfort they radiated was too good. As the hug broke apart you looked around at your fellow Paladins. 

Shiro smiled at you, "Owning who you are will make you a better Paladin." You clicked your tongue, recognizing the same words that he had used with Pidge. 

"A tough past makes for a stronger future," Lance agreed. You were amazed until he added, "That's the tagline from like six of my favorite movies."

"Feels good to get it off your chest, doesn't it?" Pidge asked as you laughed airily. She was right, you hadn't even noticed the strain keeping it to yourself was giving you until you had released it.

"Nice going (Y/N)! You're such a cool little purple cat thing!" Hunk had complimented you, at least, you thought it was a compliment. "Thanks?" You smiled nonetheless.

Keith gave you a respectful nod, one that you returned. He didn't seem to know what to say, and frankly, neither did you. Instead, you two acknowledged eachother with a nod and a miniscule smile.

Coran was weeping, "You've gone through so much. I'm glad you're a Paladin! No wonder the White Lion chose you!" He gave you yet another hug, which you gladly returned.

Allura pursed her lips. The Altean mice sat on her shoulder. Platt, the fattest mouse, was squeaking quietly. "I am sorry, (Y/N), but I can't say anything right now. I need time to think about this."

"I understand," You replied, bowing your head. At least the others had accepted you without issue. You couldn't think of a better team to have found yourself with.

...

"We'll be arriving at the Balmera soon. Liberating these Balmerans from Zarkon's grasp will not be easy," Allura informed you. Everyone was gathered in the control room, the gigantic beast of a "planet" was coming into view.

"So, what's the plan? We go in there and just-" Lance began to point in random directions as he fired imaginary weaponry, "Pow, pow, pow- free the prisoners?"

"What was that noise?" Keith scoffed, looking over at Lance with disapproval. 

"Laser guns," Lance said, smirking.

"No, Lance, I think you mean-" Hunk kneeled, punching the air in front of him as he joined in on the noise making, "Bwow, bwow, bwow, bechoo!"

"That sounds like fireworks," Lance commented with a shake of his head.

"Technically, they're more like-" Pidge put her hands together as she fired a nonexistent weapon, "Pchew, pchew, pchew!"

"Oh please," You put your hand on your hips. "This is a REAL laser gun!" You pulled an imaginary trigger, joining in on the fun, "Shew, shew, shew!"

"Okay, enough with the bad sound effects!" Shiro called. "Besides, it's more like blam, blam, blam!" He added, firing his invisible laser gun every which way. 

"What?!" 

"You're crazy." 

"No way." 

"No, wong." 

"You wish." 

The remaining four Paladins and you argued, it definitely didn't sound like that!

"Paladins," Allura sighed, edging the Castle closer to the Balmera, "Focus!"

"Besides, we can't just shoot at the Galra," Hunk added with a frown, "This Balmera. It's like, alive, and from what we've seen it doesn't look very good."

"Yes, it's an atrocity what the Galra have been doing to this grand beast," Coran pulled up images on the screen. The air looked sickly, and the skin of the mighty creature looked dull. "Stealing its crystals, its very life force, without ever performing the energy rejuvenation ceremones to heal it."

"After seeing Shay's people enslaved it made me realize how bad Zarkon really is," Hunk stated, "And we're the only ones that can stop him."

"Okay, so we can't go into the tunnels guns blazing," Shiro said thoughtfully. "Plan B, we figure out how to draw the Galra up to the surface and battle them out there."

"Wait, I know. If we attack all this big mining stuff on the surface, the Galra troops will have to come out to defend it," Hunk said excitedly. "Then we beat them up, head down to the tunnels, and Voltron saves the day."

"But how will we know how many are left down in the tunnels?" Keith asked, arms crossed.

"We can track the Galra and Balmerans using bio-thermal life indicator point technology," Allura pulled up a screen. Your ears perked at the new device, hurrying over with Pidge.

"Oh!" Pidge fixed her glasses as she looked at the holographic image. "B.L.I.P. tech!" Allura looked at her, confused, as you did similar. "It's an acronym," Pidge added.

"One of you will need to fly around the Balmera and drop sensors into the shafts on each side. Then we'll be able to see where the Galra and Balmerans are," Allura explained. "There are already sensors built into your suits."

"I can do it," Pidge offered, "I just modified the Green Lion with the invisible maze's cloaking ability. I should be able to fly around unnoticed."

"That's their main power generator," Coran pulled up a bigger screen. It revealed large black and purple machinery. "If you take that down it will severely weaken their defenses."

"We'll stay in cloud cover and give tactical support. With the Castle's defenses weakened from Sendak's crystal, we won't be of much help to you," Allura pulled up another hologram, this one showing where the Castle's defenses were buggy. 

"I'll take out the power generator," Shiro decided, turning to look at the remaining Paladins and you. "Keith, Lance, Hunk, (Y/N), you take out these big mining rigs around the area."

"Yeah, okay, let's do this!" Hunk cheered, "Let's go kick some alien butt!"


	19. Search and Rescue

The Castle was descending quickly as the Balmera's gravitational pull grew stronger. You had settled into your Lion. The majestic metal feline's eyes glowed with life, the passage leading towards the exit lighting up as you prepared to launch.

"You think the Balmerans will have a parade for us after we freed everybody?" Lance hummed as you opened your communication link.

"It's not about the glory, Lance," Keith sighed, "It's about freeing prisoners from Zarkon."

"He's right you know," You agreed, pressing a few buttons on your Lion's control panel as information flashed onto the screen.

"No, I know, I know. But still, when they-" Your Lion lurched foward, Lance's words cutting off. You gripped her controls, steadying her as she shot from the Castle. Against the murky green sky her pristine white form stood out the most.

As the six of you dove from the cover of clouds purple lasers split by your Lions. You twisted the White Lion's controls, the white beast spiraling downwards as you had her dodge the attacks. Ever since your training, when you were able to see through the eyes of the White Lion, diving downwards no longer frightened you. She would protect you as you would protect her. Paladin and Lion were an unstoppable team.

"This is it, get your heads in the game!" Shiro ordered as you steered clear of a particularly large beam. "Remember, the Balmera is a living creature. Make sure you pinpoint only the Galra installations, and not its surface."

"Initiating cloak," Pidge replied, the Green Lion vanishing from your sight. 

You pressed several buttons, the White Lion's tail lifting as the very end splayed open. Blue energy gathered at its center, before white, rapid firing lasers split past and hit several of the Galra structures. Explosions rang through the air as you assaulted the Galran technology, the various installments falling to the ground, useless.

The Yellow Lion was crashing into the weaponized pillars, toppling them over with its bulk. You could see the Blue Lion was firing lasers similarly to what you were doing, and the Black Lion had just passed you. Beams of blue energy took the form of blades, which the dark Lion held firmly in its jaws. It flew past the largest of the machines, explosions trailing in its wake. The Red Lion, on the other hand, was flying past lasers left and right. It hovered in front of another Galran weapon, red energy gathering in its jaws before launching a stream of fire at the metal. It began melt from the sheer heat and strength of the attack. 

"Woah, did you guys just see that?!" Keith's image flashed onto your screen, his excited voice matching the expression on his face. "I got fire power!"

"Hey, I want that!" Lance's pouting form appeared beside Keith's.

"Egh! Can you guys not open the visual chat when I'm trying not to-" You yelled, the two boys had distracted you enough that you barely saw a tri-pronged beam coming right at you. You slammed the control stick down, letting the White Lion drop before starting her back up again. The beam passed, the tip nearly touching your Lion. "Die!" You huffed, finishing your sentence.

"Sorry!" The two echoed back.

"Oh no," Hunk's voice grabbed your attention next. You saw the Yellow Lion split past your side, flying under the collapsing machine and preventing it from crashing to the ground. "Guys, we can't let this thing hurt the Balmera!" The Yellow Lion was barely managing to keep it up, piecies falling quickly.

"I think my Lion knows what to do!" Lance yelled. The Blue Lion flew closer to the collasping machinery. Particles gathered at its mouth before it fired a pale blue beam, ice forming along the machine. The Yellow Lion regrouped with the other Lions as the ice held up the previous threat.

"Haha, awww snap! These rays are super cool, just like me," Lance bragged. You could almost imagine the smug look on his face, and the way he nonchalantly glanced at the rest of you... Wait.

"Lance, did you really just open the visual chat to brag?" You questioned, the Blue Paladin grinning sheepishly towards your screen, which had also appeared on his Lion, before closing the link. 

"Great job, team!" Shiro complimented. You rested your Lion on the now frozen structure, the others following suit. The area looked empty, and an unsettling silence had settled over everything.

"Where are all the troops? They're not coming to the surface," Keith's confused voice reflected your thoughts.

"Yeah, I remember seeing a lot of Galra guys down in the mines," Hunk's suspicious gaze popped up on the video link this time. 

"We've located a hangar full of Galra Fighters just below the surface," Allura informed quickly. "Someone has to take those out before they can launch."

"They're luring us down, but we have no choice," Shiro muttered. "Keith, Lance, you guys hit the hangar. Hunk, (Y/N), head to the prison to rescue Shay and the other Balmerans. Pidge and I will track down the Galra soldiers."

"Yes sir!"

"Ten four!"

"On it!"

"Let's do this!"

"Loud and clear!"

Only when Hunk and you split from the other four did you notice the size difference in your Lions. The Yellow Lion was the second biggest, its bulk made to withstand and deliver powerful attacks by sacrificing speed. However, the White Lion was the smallest of all the Lions. While she excelled in manuevering and speed, she packed less of a punch. Attacks that did hit her caused more damage, too. But when you linked her to the Red Lion, when she took her place as Voltron's sword, she grew significantly more powerful. You supposed the saying "strength in numbers" was created for a reason. 

You landed your Lions in a seperate cavern, pressing a few buttons. You were lowered from your Lion, a small white, transportation vehicle forming around you. Various panels glowed with blue energy, the very same that powered your Lions. As you trailed Hunk, whose vehicle was Yellow instead of white, barriers formed around your Lions. You disappeared down a cavern, following Hunk's lead.

"Allura? Coran? What's our location?" Hunk questioned. "All these tunnels look the same, I can't remember where the prison is!"

"You're on the right path," Coran answered, his voice crackling over the communication link. "Turn right at the next tunnel. On you get there you'll have to disable the energy doors. Be careful, it looks like it's heavily guarded."

You gripped your bayard, helmet fit securely on your head. "We have to be careful, it might hurt the Balmera worse to fight inside its tunnels."

"Yeah," Hunk agreed quickly. As the two of you pulled out from the cavern, sentries began to fire at your vehicles. You slid to a stop, hopping from the miniature ship and shielding yourself with it. You activated your bayard, the chained sickle forming in your hands. Hunk formed his energy cannon, the weapon gripped firmly in his arms.

You stood, swinging the sickle once to get a feel for things before throwing it towards a sentry, gripping on to the end of the chain. It wrapped around your elevated opponent, forcing them to drop their weapon. You yanked harshly, pulling them off their elevated surface and swung them into the energy door. The sentry exploded into several piecies, littering the ground.

Hunk fired at the other sentry. His energy cannon was much more equipped for attacking as it took a simple three shots of yellow energy before the sentry was blown to bits. He frowned, "That was way too easy. I definitely don't have a good feeling about this."

You walked past Hunk and over to a DNA scanner beside the door. You glanced at it for a few moments before peeling off one of your white gloves, placing your hand against the screen. It beeped in acceptance, the purple door flashed with the Galran symbol before beginning to open. You slid the glove back on, leading Hunk through the door this time.

Your ears flicked before you motioned towards the left, "This way. Sentries are coming from the right." Hunk nodded, racing after your smaller form as you'd pause every so often, hiding just as more sentries passed. Eventually, you reached another energy door. Hunk was able to shut down this one, several creatures looking up. 

Their eyes were dull yellow. Their skin was gray, green, or brown, and had rough, rocky textures along it. They had short, brown growths along their heads and black horns. The clothes they wore were old and tattered, but you recognized the species immediately. These were Balmerans.   
   
"Huh?" They looked up, eyes brightening once they laid upon your yellow clad companion. "Hunk! You have returned!"

"I promised I'd be back," Hunk walked foward, greeting the Balmerans. "We're here to help." He glanced at you, motioning you to step forward. You did, not surprised as the Balmerans recoiled with fright, staring at you.

"A Galra?" The largest of the Balmerans questioned wearily. 

"Yes sir," You bowed your head in greeting, ears flicking through the white and black helmet. "My name is (Y/N), I am a Paladin of Voltron along with Hunk. I'm here to help."

The Balmerans glanced cautiously at Hunk. He nodded, smiling warmly at them. "Well," The largest Balmeran approached you, holding out a four fingered hand hesitantly. You gripped it, accepting the greeting as you shook the taller alien's hand. He seemed to relax at your positive response before nodding in approval, "Any friend of Hunk's is a friend of ours."

"Where's Shay?" Hunk questioned, looking at the three Balmerans.

"Our life may not have been perfect," A fourth Balmeran spoke up sadly, "But our family was whole. Your arrival has left us imprisoned and torn apart. As soon as your attack started they took her away to the core of the Balmera. For all we know, she could be gone for good." He looked up, face filled with mixed emotions. 

"Paladins, are you there?" Allura's voice broke you from the reply you were about to send the other Balmeran's way. "The Galra troops are moving down the tunnels. It looks like they're going down towards the center."

"They must be heading towards the core of the Balmera," Hunk answered, the two of you already racing down the tunnels, "That's where they're holding Shay."

"They're drawing us into an ambush," Shiro's voice replied, "But we don't have a choice if we want to save Shay. We have to follow. Lance, Keith, get to the core. I think we're going to need everyone together to get through this fire fight." 

"Copy that, we're on our way," Lance answered.

Hunk and you burst from the tunnels, stopping as you spotted a Balmeran hanging from chains. "Shay, you're alive!"

Shay perked up, but all that came were muffled grunts and whines. The Galra had placed a sort of muzzle on her mouth, preventing her from speaking. 

Hunk fired at the chains, activating his boosters and flying under Shay as she began to drop. He caught the falling Balmeran, placing her down on her feet gently.

Shiro raced into the core next, looking around hurriedly, "Where are the Galra?! If this is an ambush they should be here, waiting for us."

As Pidge, Keith, and Lance entered the doors shut tight. Your stomach bubbled with dread as you took a step back.

"Not an ambush," Hunk began.

"A trap," You finished, a growl embedded in your throat. "And if I know Galra, it's only a matter of time before they make sure we're dealt with. Permanently."


	20. Electrifying Escape

You'd hurried over to Shay, assisting the Balmeran as you began to remove her muzzle. Once off, you flung it as far away as you could. "The Galra," Shay's fear filled voice began, "They gained knowledge that you would return to the Balmera."

"How?" Pidge's eyebrows furrowed.

"I know not, but they set this trap just for you," Shay's head lowered with shame, "I was the bait."

"It wasn't your fault," You consoled the rocky alien. "Galra can be cruel, I know that well."

Shay smiled slightly at your attempt to make her feel better. "Thank you. But you are not like other Galra, yes? You are a friend."

"Yup." You returned the smile. Shay was quick to accept you, she didn't even need Hunk's reassurance like the ones before. She was sweet, like Hunk. No wonder he liked her.

"Who could have possibly known that we were heading here to save Shay?" Shiro spoke up, gaining your attention. 

"Rolo, those liars must have told Zarkon," Hunk claimed, scowling at the thought. 

"Don't even say his name," You snarled with disgust. You swore the next time you saw those two-timers you would send them away with a scratch or two... hundred.

"We have to figure out how to get out of here," Shiro muttered.

"Wait, we have a giant Castle ship hovering in the sky!" Lance stepped foward. "Allura," He spoke into his helmet, "Can you please come get us?"

"How do you expect her to do that, genius?" Keith said sarcastically.

"I don't know, maybe they got teleporters or something," Lance replied. 

"We're quite occupied at the moment!" Allura's strained reply put you on edge. "We're completely surrounded by Galra ships and we're taking heavy fire." An alarm began blaring in the background as she continued, "Paladins, you need to get out of there as soon as you can!"

"This is it, we're going to die in here," Lance began to sob. "I can say bye-bye to that parade."

You all stared at the sulking Blue Paladin with exasperated expressions. "Get it together, guys," Shiro spoke, though he was looking at Lance. "Allura, we'll get there as soon as we can."

"Perhaps my people can help us get out," Shay spoke up from beside you. She rested her hand along one of the orange walls of the core. "This is how we communicate. The Balmera senses our vibrations and sends a message to those in the tunnels."

"Are you sure someone will be able to hear your- hand? From all the way down here?" Keith questioned.

"The Balmera will deliver the message," Shay shut her eyes. The wall began to glow faintly under her hand.

"Paladins, the Lions are in danger!" Allura's voice rang out several dobashes later, "You must get back to them immediately!" She went silent for a few ticks before speaking up once more, "Paladins, do you copy? There's a Battle Cruiser locked onto us. If it fires with its Ion Cannon, I don't know if we can survive."

"We're trying, Allura," Lance replied, "Shay's pressing her hand against the wall which apparently sends vibrations to the other rock people, who vibrate back or something? Hand talking? I guess the answer to your question is yes, we copy."

"Shay, are you sure the Balmera is sending your message?" Shiro asked.

"Have faith, Shiro," You said. "Balmerans have cared for their Balmera for generations. They coexist to survive, it will definitely send her message." You kneeled down, looking at the rocky ground which was actually the body of a great beast. You touched it hesitantly, feeling a warmth beneath your hand.

As soon as you withdrew your hand one of the doors shattered, dust thrown up. "The purple one is right. The Balmera will always protect us, as we protect it." 

"Rax!" Shay called as a group of the rocky aliens stepped into the core. He was the very same one that had been angered by Hunk's meddling.

"We must make haste! We know a shortcut through the tunnels," Rax said quickly.

"Allura, standby. We're on our way up," Shiro informed as you raced from the tunnels. You only hoped the Castle would still be standing by the time you arrived. 

...

"Paladins, hurry! They're taking off with the Lions!" Allura's urgent voice was strained over the communication link.

"On our way," You replied, your vehicle stopping under the White Lion, who was being lifted into the air. Her barrier opened, allowing you to rise back into her. You settled in the control room, gripping the controls. Her eyes flashed yellow and she roared, kicking out and shattering the barrier. You steered her from the cavern, spotting the other Lions rising as well.

"Guys, did everyone make it to the Lions in time?" Shiro asked.

You took formation with the other five Lions, yours flying underneath the Black Lion, who stayed in the middle. "Come on, Shiro! Who do you think you're dealing with?" Lance's smug tone filled the air as you steered away the White Lion from an approaching pillar. "AH!" You saw the Blue Lion flipping in the air, it had crashed into the very structure the rest of you had dodged.

"You really want me to answer that?" Shiro hummed.

"No," Lance muttered.

"Let's go!" Shiro ordered, the six of you taking off together as your Lions picked up speed. 

The Green, Blue, and Red Lions all shot lasers from their mouths, firing at the Galran Fighters. The Yellow Lion headbutted right through them with ease, grabbing others in its jaws and flinging them into eachother. Shiro summoned the Black Lion's Jaw Blades once more, cutting through the ship with ease. You were taking a more risky strategy, afraid to hit the Balmera. Instead, you'd used the sharp, metallic claws of the White Lion to claw straight through the Fighters. All around you various explosions littered the air.

More Galra Fighters approached, the amount stacking up. You bit your lip thoughtfully, dodging the attacks of several different Fighters with minimal damage.

"Everytime I destroy one, two more take its place!" Pidge's frustrated voice informed.

"I see what you mean, but we have to be careful we don't hit the Balmera. We can't fire unless we're sure to hit them," Shiro replied. From the tone of his voice you could tell he was also struggling.

You gasped, a warmth flooding into your fingers once more. Images filled your head, white bolts and exploding ships. "Guys, my Lion's telling me what to do," You said determinedly. You pushed up a lever, the White Lion's jaws parted. Yellow particles gathered at the base of her mouth before several different bolts of white electricity shot from her, traveling across a large group of the Galra Fighters. Moments later they exploded into a multitude of sparks.

"Woah, (Y/N) got lightning powers!" Lance marveled. "How shocking!"

You all groaned at the bad pun, instead turning your new found attack towards more Galra Fighters. The Red Lion and Blue Lion hovered beside you. Together, the three of you launched your elemental attacks. The left Fighters were half melted, the right were half frozen, and the middle was surrounded by electricity. They blew up soon after.

"Hunk, watch out!" Pidge manuevered the Green Lion over the Yellow Lion, taking several hits. 

"Got you covered!" Shiro called as the Black Lion flew past, destroying the assaulting Fighters.

You had the White Lion dive low as several beams tried to hit her, most of them missing. You saw the purple energy gathering at the base of the Battle Cruiser and gave an alarmed cry, "The Ion Cannon is firing!"

With Allura's quick thinking the Castle's shields were all diverted to the front, taking the brunt of the attack. "Paladins, I need you immediatly! Five more ticks and we're finished!"

"Okay, team!" Shiro called, "Let's form Voltron!" You headed towards the ship as Voltron formed, the Defender of the Universe and White Lion slamming into the Battle Cruiser. With yells of effort the six of you managed to shift the ship so it was firing past the Castle. 

As the Castle began to glow brightly, Voltron and the White Lion flew out of the way. Moments later it fired a massive beam at the Battle Cruiser, going straight through it. After a bright flash of light a massive explosion filled the sky, earning a cheer from the other Paladins and you. 

"Nice shot, Princess!" Pidge complimented.

"The parades back on!" Lance cheered.

"The Balmerans are safe," You said, relief filling your voice.

Voltron landed, the White Lion by its side. "Mission accomplished," Keith declared.

"And just in the tick of time," Allura replied proudly. "The Castle's defenses are battered and we'll need to fully recharge." Once more, you could hear an alarm going off in the background. 

You tensed, looking up at the sky as a flaming ball headed towards the Balmera. Dust filled the air as it collided. When it settled, a metal container stood tall and intimidating. It just screamed Galra.

"What the heck is that?" Lance muttered.

Shiro's cautious voice replied what you all were thinking, "Trouble."


	21. Rampaging Robeast

"Oh no," Pidge's weary voice put the rest of you on edge. From the White Lion you were studying the towering container, focusing your screen on the Galran written on the side. 

"Please tell me there's not a giant monster in there," Hunk whimpered, "Please tell me it's empty, or full of space candy, one of those two. Either one is fine." 

"I don't think it's a piñata, Hunk," Lance replied thoughtfully.

Your eyes widened with realization, recognizing the intricate code along the container's side. "I hate to break it to you guys," You began, "But there is definitely a Robeast in there. We need to get ready for battle."

"If it's the same kind of monster that attacked us on Arus, we aleady know how to beat it," Keith answered your warning. "Ready, (Y/N)?"

"Definitely." You kept an eye on the container while the familiar key lock rose from the middle of White's control panel. You placed your bayard in the lock, twisting it skillfully. 

The White Lion stood, roaring as she took to the skies. She twisted, the various smaller panels that she had faced outwards, becoming the blade and sharpening. Inside, red streaked her walls, spreading across her controls until the cockpit was colored red and white. When White was done with her transformation the Red and Green Lions reached into the air, catching her and holding Voltron's sword once more. Once the blade was formed the Green Lion summoned Voltron's shield, preparing to defend against whatever Robeast lurked inside.

"Hold your ground!" Shiro ordered.

It was then the Robeast was finally released. It was mostly red with rotating eyes that glowed green. It had jagged sharp teeth and tentacle arms. An object in the center of its chest began to glow brightly, firing a green laser towards Voltron.

The Green Lion held up Voltron's shield quickly, blocking the attack from doing any actual damage. However, it sent you sliding back from the sheer power of the attack.

"It's not candy!" Hunk wailed. 

"And it's not the same monster!" Lance yelled.

"This is another new one," You informed, trying to calculate its weakness. It was odd, before Zarkon would send already existing Robeasts against other planets. Was it possible that your presence was known by the Galran Empire? Sendak hadn't seemed surprised when you confronted him on the Castle, after all.

The laser drifted off of the shield, firing past the Defender of the Universe, while Voltron dove foward. "We need to draw its fire away from the Balmera's surface!" Shiro called, his voice bringing you back to reality.

Once more the Robeast attacked, another powerful laser hitting Voltron's shield head on. You grit your teeth, the attack was shaking your Lion and bathing her in green light. Voltron began to move, attempting to dodge the attack, but the Robeast continued to fire its beams rapidly.

Voltron flew towards it, swinging its sword, but the Robeast ducked. It shot another laser while Voltron's backed was turned, hitting you all head on and sending you stumbling. Voltron turned, taking to the air with the Robeast hovering behind it.

"We can't hold out!" Lance called as Voltron shielded itself once more from another devastating blow.

"My Lion's weakening! If the shield sustains structural damage we're done for!" Pidge agreed.

"Pidge is right!" Keith grunted, another blow sending Voltron back once more.

"Oh, Pidge is right?! I'm the one that said we can't hold out!" Lance grumbled.

"Not the time!" You cut in, pulling down a lever to divert some of your Lion's power towards Pidge's shield. You could see the small, white bolt traveling over Voltron and soaking into the Green Lion.

"Lance, watch your footing!" Keith warned suddendly.

The Blue Lion slid into a rock formation, causing Voltron to fall backwards. Despite your best effort the shield broke into two parts, falling to the ground several meters away as Voltron was blasted full force by the laser. 

"Okay, Team Voltron, disband!" Shiro ordered.

You pulled away from Voltron, the sword shifting into the White Lion as she roared. 

"Everyone, evasive manuevers!" Shiro added, "It can't shoot us all at once!"

The Robeast held out its tentacle arms. Several green lasers shot into the air. You were barely managing to steer the White Lion between them without being hit. 

"Okay, it can do that too," Shiro corrected.

You were wondering how you would escape the situation when a blue beam shot from the sky, nailing the Robeast in the back. The clouds parted, revealing the Castle of Lions descending with its particle barrier up. 

The Robeast turned, fixing its gaze onto the Castle and firing its chest laser at it. However, the Robeast still managed to fire into the air with its tentacle arms, ensuring that you couldn't come to Allura or Coran's aid.

"Keith, try to draw its fire. I'm coming in from above," Shiro stated.

"Roger!" The Red Lion flew down low, firing its searing fire beam at the Robeast. 

It took the assault without issue, turning its arm beams to fire at the Red Lion. While the Black Lion charged for an attack it turned, firing another green beam from its eyes and causing Shiro to pull back.

"We need to find its blind spot!" Keith yelled, dodging another laser.

"I don't think this thing has a blind spot. It has a thousand eyes," Pidge replied, the Green Lion twisting skillfully.

You gave a pained grunt as the White Lion was hit in the center of its chest. She spun as you tried to gain control of her once more.

The Robeast noticed the opening in your defenses and turned its attack towards the White Lion. You watched as a laser headed towards you, desperately pulling on the controls. Instead, the Green Lion got in the way, facing you so the shield on its back took the brunt of the attack. The Red Lion caught you in its claws, stopping you from spinning and flying you to safety before releasing you. Afterwards, the Green Lion pulled away, the beams firing harmlessly past.

"Thanks you two!" You gasped, steadying the White Lion. You flew her back towards the battle, glancing at the screen where a sort of blueprint of the White Lion had popped up. While the rest of your Lion was in blue, the front part of her torso was red. You furrowed your brows, "Okay, White. Hang in there, I'll get you fixed up." You promised, feeling the light warmth under your fingers as the White Lion replied positively.

"Laser eyes, laser eyes!" Hunk yelped, the Yellow Lion swerving between beams as it flew past. You followed after it, seeing as how the Robeast was heading towards you. 

"What do we do?!" Pidge yelled. "Fighting this thing is like fighting an entire fleet at once!"

"Wait, (Y/N) has a multi-hit attack! That lightning blast thingie!" Lance pointed out. 

"She said it's like fighting an entire fleet, Lance. There's still only one enemy, but it's worth a shot!" You answered. Your Lion gathered energy in her jaws before firing several white bolts at the Robeast. All it did was fire its lasers, the two attacks colliding and causing several explosions to litter the air. 

"I think we got to aim for those laser eyes and take them out!" Keith said. "Then it won't be able to counter all of (Y/N)'s strikes!"

"We'll cover you from up here," Allura promised. The ship began to fire several attacks at the Robeast. It stumbled, turning to face the Castle, and firing every beam it had towards it.

"We're taking heavy fire up here!" Allura yelled. "We're in trouble!"

"Princess, pull back. Get out of its range, now," Shiro replied.

"We will not abandon you," Allura said stubbornly.

"You're not abandoning us, we're about to pull back anyway," Shiro answered.

"We are?" Hunk cut in.

"We can't hold out, we have to," Shiro explained. "Lions, to the mine shaft. It's the only place the monster can't get us."

"Roger that!" Pidge replied.

"Heading into orbit," Allura informed, the ship beginning to pull from the Robeast's range. 

You lowered the White Lion into a mine shaft just as an attack fired overhead. You exited her, glancing around as you found yourself seperated from the other five. With a sigh you hurried over to the White Lion's front. It was partly scorched black, but looked fine otherwise. Judging by what you read on the blueprint, however, you knew there was some internal damage. You placed a clawed hand on her leg, unable to reach any higher. You'd need tools to fix her that high up.

The mine began to shake, several rocks falling from higher up as a moaning noise filled the air. You swore, racing back into the White Lion. You hadn't even had time to assess the full amount of damage.

"Do you guys feel that over there?" Hunk questioned through the communication link.

"Yeah, we feel it," Lance answered.

"It's that sound again!" Pidge said, "What is that?"

"I can hear it too," You answered, looking at the shaking walls. "I think it might be the Balmera." 

Silence met your reply before Keith responded, "Turns out you were right. It is the Balmera, but according to one of the Balmerans... Well, the Balmera is dying."

"Coran, Allura, are you there?" Shiro contacted the Castle.

"Shiro, we're here," Allura answered.

"The Balmera-" Shiro began before Coran cut him off. "We already know. Our scanners are showing the Life Energy draining from the Balmera."

"How does that happen?" Pidge asked.

You pulled up the scan that Coran was talking about. The warm colored areas of the Balmera were slowly shrinking. There was no other way to describe it, the Balmera was dying.

"Removing the crystals from a Balmera is like removing a vital part from the mighty beast. The Balmera needs time to regenerate itself to stay healthy," Coran explained, "But the Galra's greed may have cost this noble Balmera its life."

"So, what's going to happen?" Hunk questioned softly.

"Its core will collapse, destabilizing the entire skeletal structure," Coran continued, "Anything or anyone remaining on the Balmera at that point will be crushed into dust."

"How long before its core collapses?" Shiro asked.

"Probably a matter of hours," Coran responded, his voice heavy with grief. "The mighty organism willingly gives itself to all, but not all return its kindness."

"Then our time is short," Allura began, "We'll evacuate the planet. We need to get all the Balmerans to the Castle of Lions before the planet implodes."

"Okay, that sounds like a good plan," Hunk answered, "But how on Earth do you plan on landing the Castle with that monster thingie on the surface?"

"You'll need a distraction," Pidge stated.

You looked at the cracking ground through the screen, disgust bubbling in the pit of your stomach. The Balmera had given its crystals willingly to all, only to be repaid with death. You pulled up a visual chat, seeing Coran and Allura's distressed expressions, as well as Shiro and Pidge's seperate screens. "We can fight it, there's no other way. We don't have time to plan an alternative solution."

"(Y/N)'s right. We can engage the beast in our Lions. With it distracted, Allura and Coran will land the Castle and load all of its citizens," Shiro planned.

"Or," Lance cut in, "We could load Balmerans into our Lions a few at a time and shuttle them to the ship. You know, no engaging ferocious laser eye guy. How long would that take?"

"Days, weeks," Coran replied.

"We only have hours," Keith answered.

"Look, we don't need to beat this thing," Shiro said, "We just need to bait it away from the ship. Provoke and evade."

"Okay, here's the thing," Hunk started slowly, "I'm afraid we're going to be really, really good at the provoking part and then like, really bad at the evading part. I mean, no offense (Y/N), but the White Lion was already blasted in the air and nearly put out of commission."

"Uh, offense taken?" You replied.

"But if this is what it takes to save Shay and everyone on the planet, then I'm in," Hunk finished.

"Can you contact the other Balmerans?" Keith asked, facing off screen.

"I can," Shay's voice replied, "But I know not what they'll say. Leave the planet? Our home?"

"It's the only option," Allura responded. "I'm coming down."

"Princess, no! It's too dangerous," Coran protested. 

"Someone has to be there to lead these people out," Allura's eyes narrowed, showing how serious she was. 

"You're coming down!" Pidge gasped. "That thing will spot your pod and blow it to pieces!"

"Let me worry about that," Allura responded sharply, "You just focus on keeping the creature distracted."

"Alright, Allura," You answered, preparing to send your Lion into battle once more. "Good luck."

Shiro's words didn't sit well with you. He was right, you didn't need to beat the Robeast, but there was a problem. After all your kind had done to the dying noble beast and to you, you couldn't help it. You didn't just want to distract it, you wanted to defeat it.


	22. The Balmera's Kindness

White flew from the mine shaft, barely avoiding the beam of the Robeast. While it had turned to look at you, the remaining Lions blasted it from behind, causing the Robeast to whirl around and fire another volley of green lasers. You swerved between several arching formations, catching up to the others as you avoided the attacks. Pink energy surged from the Robeast as it trailed after you, continuing its rapid assault.

"Okay, we've provoked," Hunk stated, "Time to evade." The Yellow Lion dodged another rock formation, the Robeast crashing through it with a roar.

You fired a few of your tail lasers at the Robeast before you were forced to fall back. You couldn't get up and personal with it, White was damaged. Thankfully, the Black Lion fired a blue beam from its jaws, catching the Robeast's attention as it went after the much bigger threat.

"Princess, we've lured the monster away. It's time," Shiro's voice informed through the communication link. 

"I'll contact you all when I'm on the ground," Allura answered.

"Is that Allura?!" Lance gasped.

You whipped your Lion around, spotting the descending pod and Allura hanging onto it tightly. It seemed the Robeast did as well when one of its eyes drifted towards the side, charging up for an attack. 

"We've got to protect the Princess!" Hunk called. The Yellow Lion blocked the lasers, taking the hit instead as electricity crackled over the Lion's metal body. Hunk let out a pained grunt. 

The Robeast charged up another attack, but Lance and you had come to Hunk's aid. While the Blue Lion fired its elemental beam, encasing the Robeast's head in clear ice, the White Lion fired her lightning bolts. There were several small explosions before the Robeast roared, stomping from the smoke cloud and fixing its gaze on you once more. You turned tail, helping White avoid the blasts as you saw Allura enter one of the mine shafts safetly.

"I'm on the ground," Allura's voice flowed from your helmet.

"Hurry," Shiro's voice answered as the Black Lion took the hit met for you.

"Shiro!" You yelled, concerned as green electricity overcame the Black Lion before it managed to shake off the attack and dodge another.

"I'm okay, but I don't know how long we can hold this thing off!" Shiro added the last few words to Allura.

Allura didn't reply, and once more you were locked in battle with the Robeast. 

...

"Paladins, how are you holding up?" Coran's voice called as you managed to avoid another laser by a mere couple inches.

"I think we got them pretty distracted," Keith answered, the Red Lion diving past the White Lion as the Robeast's beams followed after it.

"Are the Balmerans in position?" You questioned, diving low to avoid several other beams heading towards you. 

"They're making their way to the top," Allura responded. 

As the Robeast fired its beams you dove towards the others. The protective formation you had formed with the others would allow you to help eachother out the second one of you got hit. A bombardment of lasers flew past and into the Balmera's surface, an echoing moan causing you stomach to drop. "The Balmera is in pain. I can hear it crying out," You spoke, your sensetive ears able to pick up the wailing of the dying beast over the sound of battle.

"It must be because of the Robeast's blasts. Every hit weakens the Balmera," Hunk deduced, "Coran, Allura, have you evacuated yet? What's happening?"

"The Balmerans are trapped. Just keep distracting that beast!" Coran answered.

"Do you want us to distract it by dying? Because that's what's going to happen!" Hunk snapped back.

"Guys, remember when I said we didn't have to beat it?" Shiro said as you dodged another beam 

"Yes, I remember that," Hunk answered quickly.

"Well, we might have to beat it," Shiro said.

You gripped White's controls, flying her towards the Robeast. You pushed three buttons, this time normal blue beams shot from her mouth and at the assaulting monster. While you steered away from the green lasers, Keith and Shiro dive bombed the beast and fired their own lasers.

"Guys, this isn't working," Keith seethed, "We'll never take this beast down in our Lions!"

"Well, forming Voltron didn't work either," Pidge stated.

"Not without some way to shoot all those laser eyes at once," Lance added.

"And I already tried my elemental cannon," You added with your eyebrows furrowed. "The beams need to be several hundred times quicker to cut past the Robeast's defenses." As you finished your thought the familiar device on White's control panel rose once more. Her controls warmed up, and concern laced your tone. "Are you sure you want to form the sword, White? With something damaged already it might strain it further." Despite you desperately wanting to defeat the Robeast you didn't want to risk the well-being of your Lion. Images flashed through your mind, showing the White Lion roaring and fighting. "Okay, okay," You relented to the metal feline. It seemed she was just as eager to defeat the Robeast. 

"That's weird, what are you trying to tell me?" Hunk mumbled suddenly, gaining your attention.

Your ears perked, glancing at the device that required your bayard. Slowly you began to piece together what was happening. "Hunk, what's going on?"

"Guys? Guys, something's happening here. I think there's a way to take down all those laser eyes at once!" Hunk answered.

"Well, what is it?" Pidge interrupted impatiently.

"Do you remember how Voltron formed that sword with Keith's and (Y/N)'s bayards? I think my Lion is telling me I can do the same thing with my bayard!" Hunk stated.

"Are you sure?" Shiro questioned.

"Let's find out. Form thingie!" Hunk yelled, cutting off your thought process.

You twirled the White Lion around, dodging the onslaught of lasers. The Yellow Lion didn't change at all. You sweatdropped, but glanced at the device on White's control panel and the bayard in your hand. Was it possible...?

"It didn't work," Hunk whined.

"Because we didn't form Voltron yet," Shiro stated.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I know," Hunk muttered with embarrassment.

"Guys, whatever we're planning, let's hurry up and do it!" Pidge said quickly.

You grunted with agreement, barely dodging a giant laser the Robeast sent your way. You began to fire your tail lasers back at it, and it stumbled back. One of its eyes slid to the right, noticing the Castle and an everexpanding blue light beneath it.

"We've got to defend the Castle!" Shiro yelled. "Everyone, follow me! Form Voltron!"

While they combined you defended the Castle. You fired your tail beams at the Robeast, but it shot lasers in retaliation. As it was about to send a particularly large blast towards the Castle a blue beam shot towards it, sending it sliding back. Voltron flew down beside the White Lion. 

"It's still not working!" Hunk called, panicked as the Robeast lumbered towards them. 

"Great, all we did was give it a bigger target!" Keith snapped.

"Hold it," You placed your bayard into the device, twisting it. With a roar the White Lion took to the air. Her legs tucked beneath her and her head sunk protectively into her body. Her jaws parted, and the various panels on her side shifted and changed position. Inside, color once more streaked her white walls. However, unlike with Keith, it was yellow that was spreading across her controls and other surfaces. It expanded throughout your Lion in various lines that resembled circuitry. She was caught by the Red Lion, landing on Voltron's shoulder as she finished the transformation. The Red and Green Lions gripped the trigger of the large shoulder cannon, which was a replica of Hunk's bayard's weapon. 

The Robeast paused, holding out its tentacle arms. From each of the lasers on its suckers and the weapon on its chest it began to form a large ball of green, hazardous energy. It fired towards Voltron.

Your Lion's jaws were still parted, blue energy gathering in it before firing with surprising power at the offending orb. The two attacks collided, but it looked like the Robeast was winning as its laser began to push back the explosion the colliding beams were making. 

"It's not enough!" Shiro grunted, blue light bathing your Lions as the attack was forced backwards.

"We'll have to try something else!" Hunk stated.

The Yellow Lion kneeled, causing Voltron's stance to shift. The strategic movement sent the attack reflecting away from Voltron and past the Castle. Afterwards, Voltron took to the air, avoiding the never-ending lasers coming its way. The Defender of the Universe turned, dodging the attacks. Your Lion was still gripped securely between the Red and Green Lions.

You watched with surprise as a screen popped up. It showed a scan of the Robeast, and several red circles surrounded each part a laser was coming from.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Hunk asked.

"I got it," You answered.

"Roger that," Keith replied.

"Let's see what this thing can do," Shiro stated, "Engage!" 

The White Lion fired several beams of blue energy, the attacks moving swiftly and in sporadic patterns. The Robeast didn't have time to counter as it was hit by the attack. It fell to its knees, purple energy crackling over it as the Robeast took heavy damage. 

The White Lion detached from Voltron, hovering beside it in her orignal form. Beneath you the entire Balmera was glowing blue, and you swore you could feel the amount of Quintessence that was flowing through it.

"Guys look!" Shiro said, but you were already watching the majestic beast with awe. Every square inch was being covered in the soft blue glow.

Voltron was sinking cautiously to the Balmera surface. The Robeast was still grounded, the electricity covering its robotic enhancements. Suddendly it stood up and roared, firing a laser once more.

Voltron dodged, the White Lion flying by the Defender of the Universe's side in case you had to form the Shoulder Cannon again. Voltron twisted around and lunged at the Robeast, the Red Lion pulled back. With astonishing power and speed the Red Lion came foward, colliding with the Robeast's chest as the monster was sent flying. Its glowing green enhancements dimmed with defeat.

You steered the White Lion closer to the Castle and grew panicked when you saw Allura on the ground. Had a stray attack hit her? You landed White, hurrying over with the other five Paladins just as the ground began to shake. 

The Robeast was rising, energy gathering at its center as it prepared to deliver a devastating blow to the Castle. You tensed, there was no time to get to your Lions. It would fire in a matter of ticks.

"No," Allura whispered with horror.

A wailing cry filled the air as crystals began to form at the Robeast's feet. It roared as sparkling blue gems burst from its center, destroying the forming laser. More and more crystals covered the Robeast till it was fully encased.

"No way," Hunk gasped.

"The Balmera just saved us," Coran said with awe.

"Look at the crystals!" Allura glanced downwards, smiling as shimmering blue gems began to rise from the ground. They formed clusters that stretched as far as you could see.

"Awww, who's a good Balmera? You are! Who ate the big monster? You did! Yes you did, yes you did!" Hunk cooed, rubbing the ground.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Keith asked, exasperated.

"What? It's alive and it wuvs my scratches!" Hunk paused to reply before rubbing the ground once more.

As Keith looked away you laughed. Though Hunk did have a point, the Balmera was alive and it had saved you all. A little appreciation would go a long way.

...

It was night time, after the heavy battle you'd all turned in for the night. Well, everyone except from you. You left the Castle bare foot, feeling the warm ground beneath your toes. You kneeled down, running a hand against the healthy and still alive Balmera. "Thank you, Great Balmera. For protecting me, my friends, and your inhabitants."

Footsteps behind you left your ears perking. You turned to face an older looking Balmeran who had been with the others when Hunk and you freed them. She had her hand resting against an arching rock formation, a soft blue glow underneath it. "The Balmera says that it is happy to help."

"Wha? How did the Balmera know-" You trailed off, looking at your hand that still touched the ground. Like the Balmeran, it had began to glow a soft blue. You pulled your hand away, startled.

"How curious," The older Balmeran rasped as she stepped towards you. "You are a Galra, yes? Your energy, it is able to communicate with the Balmera. I have only seen my people, Princess Allura, and now you as well manage this."

You were at a loss for words, looking at the ground beneath you.  As you bent down to inspect the place where you hand had been you gave a yelp. A small, blue crystal was rising from the ground in front of you. 

The older Balmeran laughed, taking her hand off the rock as she stepped towards you. "The Balmera, it wishes for you to have this. It sensed one of its crystals inside your Lion, the white one. It is damaged."

You sputtered with surprise, but at the Balmeran's words you gently picked up the small crystal. It was about the length of your hand, but you knew the energy these gems held. "Is this a Battle Class crystal?" You murmured.

"Indeed it is," The elder Balmeran smiled. "Would you care to perform the ceremony as Allura did? It seems you are able to."

"Of course," You responded, wanting to give back for what your kind had taken. You placed the crystal aside and then copied the position the Balmeran took. You were on your knees, hands pressed to the ground lightly.

"Will forward some of your Quintessence," The elder Balmeran guided you.

You shut your eyes, feeling a tingle travel up your arms and through your fingertips. You watched as another crystal formed where you had taken it, the light dying out a few ticks later.

"It is done," The Balmeran stood, helping you up. "The Balmera thanks you."

"I'm thankful for the crystal as well," You replied, glancing up at the murky green sky now littered with stars. "I suppose I should get a little sleep before we take off tomorrow."

"That would be best," The Balmeran agreed. "Good luck, young Galra."

You waved good-bye as you entered the Castle once again, the crystal still safetly in your grasp. You would get to White first thing in the morning, the ceremony had left you a little tired. Thoughts about the ceremony plagued your mind, but one particular question reappeared the most. How were you even able to do it in the first place?


End file.
